Smike

Smike's Sheets

Post Draft

April 25th, 2025
Hotel in Yaoundé, Cameroon

"Do you know when you'll be back?"

Mirwais posed the question genuinely, either forgetting or ignoring the fact that he had asked her at least a dozen times over the past month. He was a smart boy, bright in the unsure way of a teen still figuring out his place in the world. In all likelihood he had known that she couldn't answer him before she had said so the first time, her vagueness on details making it clear that whatever she was doing was not just another trip to Austin. Still he asked, hoping that he'd be wrong and his mother could give him some soothing definite answer.

Arsala could do no such thing. She couldn't tell him where she was going, when she'd be back, if she would make it home in one piece or at all. The only thing she could do for poor Mirwais was smile, sink into her seat on the cheap bed the hotel had provided, and swallow her doubts.

"Soon, I hope. But I don't know. This case I'm working, I don't know all the details yet but it's complicated, complicated enough they're calling for help from all over. It might take a while, but I'll call as often as I can."

"Sounds good."

He was better at hiding his feelings nowadays, but there was no getting past Mom. It was the little things that gave Mirwais away. His inflection, the slight downturn at the corners of his mouth, hints of discontent that he wouldn't recognize until he himself had children. She could stomach the standard teenager fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! acting out, even if it made her grumble. This genuine loneliness he was giving off, the sense of abandonment that he couldn't hide?

That hurt.

"We'll do video call; that way I can make sure you've been practicing your signing!"

"Okay, if you want to."

Her smile wavered. After a couple of years humping around her homeland and then another two decades as a cop she was pretty good at keeping a game face. Car wrecks, shootings, burn victims, once she saw enough of them they all blurred together. Her only weak point was her children, and Mirwais blowing off the project they had been working on was enough to give her pause. Arsala considered her name prophetic, for what she was if not a lioness taking care of her cubs? But sometimes she had to step away from the pride, and they lacked the context to understand why.

"Well, I know you're supposed to be going to Thomas's. I won't keep you. Make sure to call your dad if you need a ride home. Have fun!"

"I will, thanks Mom."

She wanted to keep him longer, tell him all the things she might not get to if the operation went badly. How proud of him she was, how grateful she was for him setting an example for his sister, that she saw him grow and change day by day and year by year into a fine young man. But he valued his space more than her sentimentality, the same way she had valued her own at his age. Arsala resigned herself to sending an email or something later, waving goodbye as she moved to switch off her laptop.

She waved, and instead of reciprocating Mirwais crossed her arms over his chest, holding them tightly just long enough for her to see before pointing at her.

This time her smile stayed strong.

"I love you too."
-----
April 27th 2025
Just inside the border of Taniland

She thought she had left long-haul flights in clapped-out cargo planes behind her when she got discharged but there she sat once more, surrounded by capital-o Operators and enough gear to fight a small proxy war. It was like being in G Squadron all over again, except this time she wasn't a young grunt with something to prove but an experienced officer, the oldest on the team if she wasn't mistaken. She also had more to lose these days and less experience working with people she wasn't familiar with. She knew more about the rest of Spearhead than she knew them personally, with the obvious exception of her partner.

Zaland sat between her knees, the dog panting contentedly as her fingers traced lazy circles between his ears. The other hand was busy with the booklet she had made for herself, combining the information Spearhead had provided on Taniland and pages of notes from her own research. She had started the flight with a nap, the brim of her hat tipped down to shield her eyes, but she could only sleep so much. With shuteye out of the question she felt it was prudent to review as much as she could before touch-down.

The rattle of chunking engines signaled a turbulent landing, Arsala taking hold of her rifle as Zaland made a plaintive whine for attention. The requisitioned MRAD was an exact copy of her own, a condition of her deployment. When asked what weapons she required Arsala had given them the specs of her personal armory, her favored weapons that she wasn't willing to lug around the world to get banged to hell in a firefight. It was something like twenty-five thousand dollars worth of longarms when factoring in scopes and suppressors, before all the taxes and fees that came with getting licensed to own suppressors and full-auto submachine guns. It had been a ridiculous request, one designed to give her an excuse to turn the op down, but she had forgotten just how quickly the military could spend tax dollars.

She had her guns within days, and now it was time for her to hold up her end of the bargain.

The only weapons on Arsala that were hers to own was her knife and her pistol, custom-made keepsakes that couldn't simply be dragged out of an armory. As loathe as she was to put her own equipment in harm's way she wasn't about to leave those at home. The plane managed to skid to a halt without snapping its landing gear, Arsala standing and stretching as the door was thrown open. She put on her aviators before stepping out, trailed closely by Zaland.

The lady meeting them was a classic spook, an obvious foreigner in business casual attire hanging around the dusty ass-end of nowhere. Khattak had worked her kind before, and quite frankly she hadn't enjoyed the experience.

It was hard not to regret signing up for this thing. There was a reason she had left all that high-speed, low-drag shit behind her to book DUIs and DVs. Shootings happened, and for Arsala they happened more commonly these days, but she liked knowing that pulling the trigger was the last resort, the choice she made when all others were exhausted. Here she'd be expected to shoot in the back, to jump right into the highest level of the use of force continuum. She had signed up for another war.

It was natural for her to feel unsure, but the tension in her gut would either subside or be ignored once the doorkicking began. The Order were a special sort of scumbag, bad enough that they were a military threat and not a law enforcement one. Arsala could compartmentalize for as long as it took to handle it. In the meantime she just tipped her hat at Jamison and loaded her things onto the bus, picking a seat at random so Zaland could clamber into her lap.

The drive, like the flight, was less than comfortable. This part of the world wasn't famous for its infrastructure at the best of times and something told her that the current rulers weren't interested in paying for upkeep.

"What am I supposed to say, no? I'm already out here, might as well get to work."

Arsala snickered as she took her turn with the dossier, committing the details to memory. It was like Afghanistan all over again-the locals weren't going to be clamoring to help a group of heavily armed outsiders without a local headman there to provide bona fides. You needed someone with respect from the community, a warlord or a tribal leader or a politician, and you needed that someone to be willing to work with you.

Pulling Adebayo out of a fire would kickstart a working relationship.

"How many enemies are we expecting in the compound? How many in the village itself? If they've got this place locked down we can expect there to be militia crawling up our ass at the first sign of trouble?

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

Peacenik's Loadout

• Full load of 20mm cannon rounds
• 2 AIM-9X Sidewinders: Short-range air-to-air missiles
• 1 AIM-120 AMRAAM: Medium-range air-to-air missile
• 2 AGM-88 HARMs: Air-to-surface anti-radiation missiles
• 2 GBU-32 JDAMs: 1000-pound guided bombs.
• 2 SLAM-ERs: Stand-off cruise missiles, remote-control or fire and forget
• AN/AAQ-28 Litening: Laser targeting pod with infrared and TV camera, can transmit footage to friendly aircraft.
• 1 Droptank

Smike's Sheets

Name: Ximena Huang [REDACTED]
Callsign/Nickname: [REDACTED] nicknamed Jefe, a play on how her name is pronounced.
Age: 41, born 1974
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Ximena is 5'2" and fairly attractive, with wide, expressive eyes and delicate facial features. Something of a fashionista, she regularly wears makeup as well as dressy-casual designer clothes when on leave or otherwise permitted to wear civilian attire.

Nationality: Sinomexicana by birth, functionally stateless.

Personality: Ximena's overarching demeanor is one of excess. She appreciates indulgences of all sorts, known for her love of cigars, coffee, and cognac. Thus far she's managed to avoid any major health concerns resulting from such consumption, something she attributes to a family history of smoking and drinking. She's a flirt and philanderer, prone to casual relationships or simple flings, as well as a high-rolling gambler. Much of her paychecks go to feeding the above habits, with some carefully squirreled away. Suave and confident in all things, she is self-assured, bordering on cocky, but genuinely quite competent and very aware of it. She expects perfection from herself in her work, and she often achieves it. This in turn inflates her ego.

[REDACTED]

Despite fleeing her home country, Huang is politically and emotionally loyal to China and its interests. She grew up in the late Cold War and came to disdain both the Soviet hegemony and NATO influence, seeing Russia and America as twin imperialists attempting to make the Third World their own. If she had her way, New China and the NCAA would break apart the N/UN and the megacorporations alike. That said, she is considered to be a reliable asset. Her self-preservation outweighs her political ideals, and she know that there is no reward for her if she were to try and defect again. She is stuck with Shattered Steel.

[REDACTED]

History: Ximena Huang was born in 1971 in Mexico City, during the height of the Sino-Soviet split. Her father was Chen Huang, an economist and businessman attached to the Chinese embassy to study Mexican trade and industry as part of early economic reforms predating the wider opening up. Her mother, Renata Torres, was a local college student working in the embassy as an attache. Despite the difference in age (Renata was 25 at the time while Chen was approximately 45) the pair began a romantic relationship and quickly eloped, potentially due to Renata becoming pregnant.

The family moved back to China while Ximena was a toddler but she would end up splitting her time between there and Mexico, due to her father's work and the presence of family. She grew up intensely patriotic and very pro-Third World, seeing Chinese opposition to both the Soviets and the Americans as an attitude other nonaligned nations should copy. With the implementation of Dengist reforms came an increase in the private sector of the Chinese economy, and Chen, with his business background and overseas contacts, was well-placed to benefit. Dealing mainly in real estate and stocks, he taught his daughter that the only way to survive and thrive was to be adaptable, getting onto and bailing from trends before anyone else. Ximena took to this lesson, which likely impacted her outlook on life.

Despite her intense patriotism Huang was something of a problem child. While very intelligent she did merely okay in school and had a record of disciplinary issues, mainly disorderly conduct and underage drinking. Records suggest that she was suspected of affiliating with minor street gangs, but it appears as if she was never formally charged with such. Her father kept her out of any serious trouble, and despite her mediocre grades she got into university, where she began to shine.

Ximena studied both in-country at Peking University, with an emphasis on finance and economics, as well as overseas at the National Autonomous University of Mexico where she was educated in Latin American studies. Her master's thesis was on the interplay of Chinese and LatAm economies and was well-received enough that an excerpt was published in the Journal of Latin American Studies. After graduating she went to work for her father, serving as his representative in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

With the advent of the Heavenfall and the destruction of the old way of doing things, China expanded its espionage and counterintelligence activities greatly. The Ministry of State Security was given an increased budget and a free hand to organize itself as required, and its International Intelligence Burea, in particular, expanded and reorganized itself to face new challenges. The "Second Burea" began to recruit unorthodox agents with valuable skill sets, and Ximena was headhunted shortly after the impact. She was an analyst scrutinizing the activities of foreign companies for any impropriety, passing along her observations to investigators.

[REDACTED]

-sought out alternate opportunities to serve her country. At the time the MSS was collaborating with military intelligence to create a PMC for deniable operations, allowing force projection without risking open warfare. This PMC, Lucky Dog Defense, is ostensibly a publicly traded company taking on jobs for various parties, but it was very much an arm of the Chinese state.

Similar to Shattered Steel in scope, Lucky Dog had an eclectic mix of personnel and equipment from different countries and eras, combining its varied inventory to perform operations on land, air, and sea. Ximena pushed to become a fighter pilot, a departure from her previous role. She managed to convince her superiors to allow the transfer [REDACTED]

She transferred out of her analyst role to Lucky Dog's fighter wing, doing well in training and allowed to serve as a fighter pilot. Lucky Dog had bases around the world but much of its manpower was fleet-based, giving it a reason to invest in carrier-born craft. That explains why they had access to the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (better known as the F22 'Sea Raptor') but now how. The best guess is that in the aftermath of the Heavenfall, rogue naval officers sold off their stocks to the highest bidder, but it's unclear. Regardless, Huang ended up flying a purpose-built air supremacy craft and found she had both the talent and inclination for dogfighting.

[REDACTED]

She defected to Shattered Steel after three years in Lucky Dog, and after the mandatory debriefing and background checks to ensure she wasn't a double agent, allowed to keep flying the same plane she stole.

Personal Gear:

• MGA SAW K in .300 Blackout, with attached laser, flashlight and suppressor. [REDACTED]
• Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull snubnosed and fed with hot loaded slugs, capable of being concealed in a specially enlarged jacket pocket. [REDACTED]
• Buck 102 Hunting Knife
• Ximena is a heavy drinker and smoker and so keeps a stash in her personal locker, both her preferred cognac and cigars, as well as cheap rotgut and cigarettes. Dice and cards are stored in the same place, if not on her person.

Personal Aircraft: Lockheed Martin F-22N "Sea Raptor"- Carrier-capable variant of the F-22 Raptor, largely the same as its progenitor save for the addition of variable-sweep wings and strengthened landing gear.



Aircraft modifications:

• Ukrainian-style sky camoflage
• Depiction of La Calavera Catrina alongside the nose.
• Depiction of a Huli jing in humanoid form on the side of her helmet.
• Modifications to the payload system allow the Raptor to equip a variety of Chinese and Soviet ordnance in addition to the standard N/UN munitions.
• Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display
• Updated avionics
• Upgraded Radar: AN/APG-81
• AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System

Miscellaneous Notes:

• [Redacted]
• Her natural accent is an odd mix of Chinese and Mexican, combining the shifting vowel pitches and dropped final consonants of the former with the rolling Rs and relative nasality of the latter. That said, she learned to speak English with a much more standard American accent while working in real estate, and she has a habit of switching between them. Generally speaking people who outrank her or otherwise have authority get the American accent, peers or near equals get her natural one.

Ximena Huang-CLASSIFIED

Name: Born Ximena Huang, has used a variety of false identities over the years with the most notable being Amy Guo
Callsign/Nickname: When working as an undercover operative she was given the codename Catechist. After transferring to flight duties she was nicknamed Jefe, a play on how her name is pronounced.
Age: 41, born 1974
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Ximena is 5'2" and fairly attractive, with wide, expressive eyes and delicate facial features. Something of a fashionista, she regularly wears makeup as well as dressy-casual designer clothes when on leave or otherwise permitted to wear civilian attire.
Nationality: Sinomexicana by birth, functionally stateless.

Personality: Ximena's overarching demeanor is one of excess. She appreciates indulgences of all sorts, known for her love of cigars, coffee, and cognac. Thus far she's managed to avoid any major health concerns resulting from such consumption, something she attributes to a family history of smoking and drinking. She's a flirt and philanderer, prone to casual relationships or simple flings, as well as a high-rolling gambler. Much of her paychecks go to feeding the above habits, with some carefully squirreled away. Suave and confident in all things, she is self-assured, bordering on cocky, but genuinely quite competent and very aware of it. She expects perfection from herself in her work, and she often achieves it. This in turn inflates her ego.

This fast lifestyle was developed during her work as a spy. Besides her state salary, Huang had access to generous expense accounts and was encouraged to earn money on the side in order to ingratiate herself with local criminal elements. She became adept at living as a buttoned-up, white-collar worker during the day and a big spender by night. Years of successful espionage and counter-espionage built up a sense of skill and a need to show it off. The conflict between her need for attention and the stealth required by her work is thought to be a major factor in her switching to piloting. Being a spy was, in her own words, 'sexy' but air combat allowed her to operate more openly. It's also worth noting that she joined a PMC only after she was taken out of the field and made a desk agent.

While there is little doubt that Jefe is an ego-driven perfectionist with a number of vices, psychoanalysis suggests that this is a subconscious defense mechanism. She served as a spy for a decade in some of the most active warzones post-Heavenfall, neutralizing a number of enemy agents and at times coming close to being neutralized herself. This lifestyle made her paranoid, and her anxiety is amplified due to her current status as a wanted traitor to the NPRC and the unknown status of her longtime partner. It is believed that by playing up her "James Bond shit", as she puts it, she's able to avoid confronting the simple fact that she's afraid.

Despite fleeing her home country, Huang is politically and emotionally loyal to China and its interests. She grew up in the late Cold War and came to disdain both the Soviet hegemony and NATO influence, seeing Russia and America as twin imperialists attempting to make the Third World their own. If she had her way, New China and the NCAA would break apart the N/UN and the megacorporations alike. That said, she is considered to be a reliable asset. Her self-preservation outweighs her political ideals, and she know that there is no reward for her if she were to try and defect again. She is stuck with Shattered Steel.

Note from Doctor Dixon, Psychiatric Evaluator: I felt I should make my observations here so that whoever 'Jefe's' squadron commander ends up being can see them. While she is cleared for flight duties by the standards of Shattered Steel, the fact of the matter is that she very well might not have had we been in a peacetime army, so to speak. She's likely suffering from some form of PTSD and is certainly a high-functioning addict. This is unsurprising, as you're unlikely to spend as long as she did undercover and then jump immediately into front-line combat without suffering some complications. What makes things trickier to decipher is her relationship with her former girlfriend. During my interview with her Huang expressed grief, guilt, bitterness and resentment in equal measure, blaming herself for abandoning her partner and blaming her partner for forcing her to give up her career and country. When she discovered that Zuhal was passing along state secrets she cut all ties and left her to her fate, assuming internal security would silence the leak, but regretted the decision almost immediately. This regret is exacerbated by the fact that Zuhal was, under unclear circumstances, kidnapped by the Sam Gor when fleeing. It's believed she's being forced to work for them, and it's only a matter of time before they kill her or she's reclaimed by the NPRC. Huang has expressed that she believes Zuhal 'has it coming,' but it's doubtful she means that.

Ximena's outward persona is at least partially a front to discourage people from looking too deeply into her. You would be well-served by knowing when not to buy her bullshit. There is minimal risk of her going rogue again or lashing out somehow, but with how central her being the "best" is to her emotional defenses, she could conceivably spiral and need to be pulled off flight duty.

History: Ximena Huang was born in 1971 in Mexico City, during the height of the Sino-Soviet split. Her father was Chen Huang, an economist and businessman attached to the Chinese embassy to study Mexican trade and industry as part of early economic reforms predating the wider opening up. Her mother, Renata Torres, was a local college student working in the embassy as an attache. Despite the difference in age (Renata was 25 at the time while Chen was approximately 45) the pair began a romantic relationship and quickly eloped, potentially due to Renata becoming pregnant.

The family moved back to China while Ximena was a toddler but she would end up splitting her time between there and Mexico, due to her father's work and the presence of family. She grew up intensely patriotic and very pro-Third World, seeing Chinese opposition to both the Soviets and the Americans as an attitude other nonaligned nations should copy. With the implementation of Dengist reforms came an increase in the private sector of the Chinese economy, and Chen, with his business background and overseas contacts, was well-placed to benefit. Dealing mainly in real estate and stocks, he taught his daughter that the only way to survive and thrive was to be adaptable, getting onto and bailing from trends before anyone else. Ximena took to this lesson, which likely impacted her outlook on life.

Despite her intense patriotism Huang was something of a problem child. While very intelligent she did merely okay in school and had a record of disciplinary issues, mainly disorderly conduct and underage drinking. Records suggest that she was suspected of affiliating with minor street gangs, but it appears as if she was never formally charged with such. Her father kept her out of any serious trouble, and despite her mediocre grades she got into university, where she began to shine.

Ximena studied both in-country at Peking University, with an emphasis on finance and economics, as well as overseas at the National Autonomous University of Mexico where she was educated in Latin American studies. Her master's thesis was on the interplay of Chinese and LatAm economies and was well-received enough that an excerpt was published in the Journal of Latin American Studies. After graduating she went to work for her father, serving as his representative in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

With the advent of the Heavenfall and the destruction of the old way of doing things, China expanded its espionage and counterintelligence activities greatly. The Ministry of State Security was given an increased budget and a free hand to organize itself as required, and its International Intelligence Burea, in particular, expanded and reorganized itself to face new challenges. The "Second Burea" began to recruit unorthodox agents with valuable skill sets, and Ximena was headhunted shortly after the impact. She was an analyst scrutinizing the activities of foreign companies for any impropriety, passing along her observations to investigators.

That role was just what she did on paper. In actuality, Huang was herself a spy. Her business background and ability to ingratiate herself with criminals made her well-suited to undercover work, and she was provided a series of cover identities and employees as part of Pacific Enterprises [see attached file]. While her job title changed regularly she was responsible for ensuring transport and the protection of inventory, ostensibly for second-hand civilian equipment and heavy industry goods. In actuality, Huang was involved in the covert movement of people, money, and weapons to various forces around the globe. She spent 3 years in this role, before the MSS decided to better utilize her particular background by inserting her into Mexico.

Her new papers identified her as Amy Guo, a business executive out of work due to the rampant destruction in Los Angeles. “Guo” was originally a corporate spy but due to the economic crisis of the disaster was now a lone actor willing to sell out her old bosses.

Through a contact in the Chinese embassy in Mexico City (an old friend of her fathers, although for operational secrecy said friend was not informed of who she was) she was inserted into Fabricante Diaz, a subsidiary of NeoDyne.

FD was a largely unknown entity with a history of projects that never went anywhere, and it was long thought by Mexican authorities to have remained solvent through laundering dirty money invested by corrupt officials and simple criminals, but it did have promising experiments in the miniaturization of chemical and electrical lasers. Such technology was something China wanted to keep an eye on, and “Guo” was in a perfect position to watch it.

Her job was multifaceted. She kept the MSS informed of Diaz’s work on lasers while feeding NeoDyne supposed industry secrets, information that the megacorp would already have known or was largely inconsequential but established her bona fides. She also liaised with the cartels as well as elements of Mexico’s remnant law enforcement and government that were happy to pick up some extra pay, establishing a network of safe houses and listening posts to keep an eye on the region. Finally, if there were elements that needed to be dealt with through force it fell to her to arrange their rendition or killing.

She seems to have enjoyed this period immensely. Living double lives suited her ego and the combination of her expense account, two salaries and kickbacks from Fabricante Diaz and her new friends in the underworld allowed her to indulge in base desires. Typically lavish spending is not something a spy should do, but Huang had arranged her cover so that it would be odd if she wasn’t. NeoDyne and local officials were well aware that Amy Guo was selling secrets from her old company to the highest bidder to fund her extravagant lifestyle, but they had no idea she was on the MSS payroll.

It was during this period that she reconnected with Zuhal al-Saqqaf, a Saudi national she had shared a college dorm with. While they had been close during their shared time at Peking University and slept with each other in a couple of instances, al-Saqqaf went on to finish her studies in England while Huang went to Mexico, and they exchanged only a few messages as they started their respective careers. al-Saqqaf, having gotten a job in the Chinese energy industry with the collapse of the Middle East and not sure which of her old acquaintances had survived the Heavenfall, reached out to Huang via New China's London embassy, and they met for drinks.

Huang was unwilling to discuss the circumstances of her and al-Saqqaf becoming a semi-permanent couple, but it was likely due to their similar backgrounds and outlooks. Zuhal's father and uncle both made their fortune during the 70s and 80s off of natural gas reserves and other resources, meaning that she was thrust into high society at around the same time as Ximena. Zuhal was also known to flaunt social mores, running into trouble with the morality police several times.

An obvious tie between them was their orientation and related struggles. According to interviews with family and friends now outside the country, al-Saqqaf's attraction to women was discovered by her father shortly after she went abroad for school and she was entirely cut off, potentially on pain of death if she returned. Ximena's circumstances were not nearly that dire, but by her own admittance she was always cautious about keeping her relationships with women to herself and only came out to her family when ordered by the MSS to ensure she couldn't be blackmailed.

Besides their shared past Huang and al-Saqqaf's relationship benefited in that both of them had neither the time nor the inclination for something permanent or monogamous. Ximena was preoccupied with her spy work while Zuhal was often traveling due to her chemical engineering career, setting up ethanol and hydrogen production for New China and its allies. Additionally, Huang was a serial libertine and al-Saqqaf was still recovering from a previous relationship, leaving both parties uninterested in becoming a 'couple' by traditional standards.

That said, they met whenever they could, catching red-eye flights to make it to dinner and spending nights in each other's apartments whenever they were in the same area. Huang refused to elaborate on these meetings, but she did make it clear that neither of them knew about the others work outside of vague generalities. al-Saqqaf was aware that Huang did analysis work for the MSS and Huang knew that Zuhal was working for the National Energy Administration, but evidently neither of them pried. Analysis suggests Zuhal was “safe” in a way other people were not, allowing Huang to let her guard down and be vulnerable, or at least emotionally intimate.

Eventually Fabricante Diaz went insolvent, the chaotic state of Mexico not conducive to the production required to keep it afloat. Huang wrapped up operations and passed along contact information to those assets deemed worth keeping, ensuring that China would still have eyes and ears in Mexico. Ximena herself was transferred back to Beijing for desk duty, and her case officer operation was shelved. Fabricante Diaz had made some notable advances in miniaturizing and venting heat from laser weapons technology, but they were ultimately minor and not anything that hadn’t been theorized before. Huang’s mission was a success in that she had infiltrated NeoDyne undetected and laid the groundwork for a lucrative network in the region, but with the company she was embedded in no longer existing it was deemed prudent to extract her. Friendlies in the American justice system and Interpol arranged for a warrant to be put out on Amy Guo for corporate espionage and wire fraud, leading to her arrest and deportation. The private contractors who picked her up were not actually hired by the United States of course, and she was shuttled back to China clean.

Her good work had earned her a promotion but her inability to turn off her maverick tendencies once back in official service gained the mistrust of her superiors. It was decided to simultaneously reward and punish her by making her a Case Manager, essentially a handler for case officers who were transitory in some way as opposed to being permanently planted. It was a step up in her career but it was a step away from the action, as her superiors wanted to make use of her skills but were concerned that she would become a liability.

Moving away from the field was not what Ximena wanted, and since this was not an optional reassignment she couldn’t just turn it down in favor of staying a case officer. She instead sought out alternate opportunities to serve her country. At the time the MSS was collaborating with military intelligence to create a PMC for deniable operations, allowing force projection without risking open warfare. This PMC, Lucky Dog Defense, is ostensibly a publicly traded company taking on jobs for various parties, but it was very much an arm of the Chinese state.

Similar to Shattered Steel in scope, Lucky Dog had an eclectic mix of personnel and equipment from different countries and eras, combining its varied inventory to perform operations on land, air, and sea. Ximena pushed to become a fighter pilot, a departure from her previous role. She managed to convince her superiors to allow the transfer on the basis that her work with Fabricante Diaz, a firm that dealt with aerospace technology, and her intelligence background made her suited to semi-covert aerial operations. That and her tendency to play fast and loose in office politics made someone above her happy to make her someone else’s problem.

She transferred out of her analyst role to Lucky Dog's fighter wing, doing well in training and allowed to serve as a fighter pilot. Lucky Dog had bases around the world but much of its manpower was fleet-based, giving it a reason to invest in carrier-born craft. That explains why they had access to the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (better known as the F22 'Sea Raptor') but now how. The best guess is that in the aftermath of the Heavenfall, rogue naval officers sold off their stocks to the highest bidder, but it's unclear. Regardless, Huang ended up flying a purpose-built air supremacy craft and found she had both the talent and inclination for dogfighting.

It was during her tenure with Lucky Dog that Ximena would become the full-time partner of Zuhal, the pair sharing a high-end apartment in Macau when not working in the field. This life suited Huang rather nicely, as Macau's status as the "Las Vegas of the East" meant that she could indulge herself as she pleased with the money she made from each mission.

Unbeknowst to her however, Zuhal was not as comfortable. Her government paycheck allowed for comfortable living but not outlandishly so, and she had developed a taste for the finer things in life just like Huang had. al-Saqqaf had taken to extralegal activities to fund herself, while Ximena had been performing industrial espionage for China Zuhal had been doing it for herself. Using her expertise in the field of fuel production and her access to state resources, she had been involved in the smuggling of black market energy for years without Ximena knowing about it, and she only revealed this secret once authorities began to close in.

Three years into Ximena's time with Lucky Dog Zuhal took her to a secluded place and revealed her secret, and that she was sure she was being tailed. Not sure what to do she looked to Ximena for help. Ximena knew that law enforcement had her dead to rights and had refrained from arresting her to see if she would reveal her co-conspirators. Once they had her, she would face trial and, in all likelihood, execution for treason. More to the point, Ximena was also at risk. While she hadn't even known that al-Saqqaf had been making money on the side, the fact that she herself had been a spy meant that ignorance would not be accepted as an excuse. Regardless of her lack of involvement, she would be scooped up and shot alongside her partner to clean house.

Ximena kept this realization to herself and told Zuhal to sit tight for the moment, and that soon she'd have arranged safe haven for them. In actuality she moved what cash she could to offshore accounts and dropped everything, including Zuhal. The week after the conversation she reported to work as usual and requested time in-air for maneuver training. Once airborne she simply veered off, using the Raptor's high speed and stealth capabilities to flee.

She defected to Shattered Steel after three years in Lucky Dog, and after the mandatory debriefing and background checks to ensure she wasn't a double agent, allowed to keep flying the same plane she stole.

Personal Gear:

• MGA SAW K in .300 Blackout, with attached laser, flashlight and suppressor. An unorthodox weapon for a Chinese agent or indeed a pilot, Huang got acquired this in Mexico and has managed to ship or smuggle it around the world.
• Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull snubnosed and fed with hot loaded slugs, capable of being concealed in a specially enlarged jacket pocket. Ximena states that she preferred to carry low-caliber pocket pistols when working for the MSS due to their utility as assassination weapons, but since defecting has switched to magnums in order to guarantee she can kill an attacker in one shot.
• Buck 102 Hunting Knife
• Ximena is a heavy drinker and smoker and so keeps a stash in her personal locker, both her preferred cognac and cigars, as well as cheap rotgut and cigarettes. Dice and cards are stored in the same place, if not on her person.

Personal Aircraft: Lockheed Martin F-22N "Sea Raptor"- Carrier-capable variant of the F-22 Raptor, largely the same as its progenitor save for the addition of variable-sweep wings and strengthened landing gear.



Aircraft modifications:

• Ukrainian-style sky camoflage
• Depiction of La Calavera Catrina alongside the nose.
• Depiction of a Huli jing in humanoid form on the side of her helmet.
• Modifications to the payload system allow the Raptor to equip a variety of Chinese and Soviet ordnance in addition to the standard N/UN munitions.
• Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display
• Updated avionics
• Upgraded Radar: AN/APG-81
• AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System

Miscellaneous Notes:

• Ximena demures from giving a concrete answer in regards to her sexuality. She identifies herself as a lālā, a slang term for a lesbian woman, as opposed to bisexual but has relationships with men before. She likely has a notable but not exclusionary preference for women, and lālā is simply the easiest for her to use. Whoever recruited her to the MSS might have stuck the label on her going through her background, as she was ordered to out herself to minimize the leverage someone could have over her.
• Her natural accent is an odd mix of Chinese and Mexican, combining the shifting vowel pitches and dropped final consonants of the former with the rolling Rs and relative nasality of the latter. That said, she learned to speak English with a much more standard American accent while working in real estate, and she has a habit of switching between them. Generally speaking people who outrank her or otherwise have authority get the American accent, peers or near equals get her natural one.

Pacific Enterprise Shipping

Often shortened to PacEn, this now defunct company was ostensibly a major air and sea freight carrier with some minor stakes in land-based shipping concerns in various countries. While it did do legitimate business, this was largely to keep itself solvent instead of generating profits. PacEn is considered to be a front corporation for elements of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, with many of its employees being assets or agents under the direct guidance of Beijing.

PacEn allowed for the transfers of personnel, money, equipment and arms to various parties around the world, anyone China wanted to support but needed to do so covertly. While it has since become defunct, the vast majority of the people involved with its espionage activities are unknown, and it’s considered highly likely that the operation has merely broken apart into smaller units to make itself less vulnerable to intrusion.

Ximena Huang states that she began her career in the MSS as part of PacEn, working to smuggle weapons and advisors to Naxalite-Maoist groups in India as well as arranging the transportation of material to various groups throughout the Pacific hemisphere. She was also deployed to the former Soviet Union for a time, working with local forces to track down WMDs and ship them back to China before they could fall into the hands of enemy agents.

The Company

The Company, sometimes referred to as Sam Gor ("The third brother", a reference to the gang's founder) began life as an alliance between Triad organizations to corner the drug market in the Asia-Pacific region, only to be interrupted by the Heavenfall. The immense destruction only temporarily halted their activities, and like many criminal organizations the Company took advantage of new state of the world to increase its own power. Using its drug profits to arm and expand, the Company defeated or simply subsumed a number of smaller gangs throughout Asia and the Americas, expanding both its territory and its ventures. In addition to narcotics, it deals in human trafficking and weapons, as well as black market energy production and simple piracy on both air and sea. It has a notable naval presence and commonly preys on shipping, stealing anything valuable before taking the crew to be held for ransom.

Zuhal al-Saqqaf, the chemical engineer and former romantic partner of ximena Huang, is currently in the Company's custody and is being forced to produce fuel for them, most of which is used by the Company's vessels while the remainder is sold off. It's thought that she had been dealing with them before her flight from New China and was simply taken prisoner when they realized that she was no longer able to find safety in the PRC.

Smike's Sheets

Huang Full

Name: Born Ximena Huang, has used a variety of false identities over the years with the most notable being Amy Guo
Callsign/Nickname: When working as an undercover operative she was given the codename Catechist. After transferring to flight duties she was nicknamed Jefe, a play on how her name is pronounced.
Age: 41, born 1974
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Nationality: Sinomexicana by birth, functionally stateless.

Personality: Ximena's overarching demeanor is one of excess. She appreciates indulgences of all sorts, known for her love of cigars, coffee, and cognac. Thus far she's managed to avoid any major health concerns resulting from such consumption, something she attributes to a family history of smoking and drinking. She's a flirt and philanderer, prone to casual relationships or simple flings, as well as a high-rolling gambler. Much of her paychecks go to feeding the above habits, with some carefully squirreled away. Suave and confident in all things, she is self-assured, bordering on cocky, but genuinely quite competent and very aware of it. She expects perfection from herself in her work, and she often achieves it. This in turn inflates her ego.

This fast lifestyle was developed during her work as a spy. Besides her state salary, Huang had access to generous expense accounts and was encouraged to earn money on the side in order to ingratiate herself with local criminal elements. She became adept at living as a buttoned-up, white-collar worker during the day and a big spender by night. Years of successful espionage and counter-espionage built up a sense of skill and a need to show it off. The conflict between her need for attention and the stealth required by her work is thought to be a major factor in her switching to piloting. Being a spy was, in her own words, 'sexy' but air combat allowed her to operate more openly. It's also worth noting that she joined a PMC only after she was taken out of the field and made a desk agent.

While there is little doubt that Jefe is an ego-driven perfectionist with a number of vices, psychoanalysis suggests that this is a subconscious defense mechanism. She served as a spy for a decade in some of the most active warzones post-Heavenfall, neutralizing a number of enemy agents and at times coming close to being neutralized herself. This lifestyle made her paranoid, and her anxiety is amplified due to her current status as a wanted traitor to the NPRC and the unknown status of her longtime partner. It is believed that by playing up her "James Bond shit", as she puts it, she's able to avoid confronting the simple fact that she's afraid.

Despite fleeing her home country, Huang is politically and emotionally loyal to China and its interests. She grew up in the late Cold War and came to disdain both the Soviet hegemony and NATO influence, seeing Russia and America as twin imperialists attempting to make the Third World their own. If she had her way, New China and the NCAA would break apart the N/UN and the megacorporations alike. That said, she is considered to be a reliable asset. Her self-preservation outweighs her political ideals, and she know that there is no reward for her if she were to try and defect again. She is stuck with Shattered Steel.

Note from Doctor Dixon, Psychiatric Evaluator: I felt I should make my observations here so that whoever 'Jefe's' squadron commander ends up being can see them. While she is cleared for flight duties by the standards of Shattered Steel, the fact of the matter is that she very well might not have had we been in a peacetime army, so to speak. She's likely suffering from some form of PTSD and is certainly a high-functioning addict. This is unsurprising, as you're unlikely to spend as long as she did undercover and then jump immediately into front-line combat without suffering some complications. What makes things trickier to decipher is her relationship with her former girlfriend. During my interview with her Huang expressed grief, guilt, bitterness and resentment in equal measure, blaming herself for abandoning her partner and blaming her partner for forcing her to give up her career and country. When she discovered that Zuhal was passing along state secrets she cut all ties and left her to her fate, assuming internal security would silence the leak, but regretted the decision almost immediately. This regret is exacerbated by the fact that Zuhal was, under unclear circumstances, kidnapped by the Sam Gor when fleeing. It's believed she's being forced to work for them, and it's only a matter of time before they kill her or she's reclaimed by the NPRC. Huang has expressed that she believes Zuhal 'has it coming,' but it's doubtful she means that.

Ximena's outward persona is at least partially a front to discourage people from looking too deeply into her. You would be well-served by knowing when not to buy her bullshit. There is minimal risk of her going rogue again or lashing out somehow, but with how central her being the "best" is to her emotional defenses, she could conceivably spiral and need to be pulled off flight duty.

History: Ximena Huang was born in 1971 in Mexico City, during the height of the Sino-Soviet split. Her father was Chen Huang, an economist and businessman attached to the Chinese embassy to study Mexican trade and industry as part of early economic reforms predating the wider opening up. Her mother, Renata Torres, was a local college student working in the embassy as an attache. Despite the difference in age (Renata was 25 at the time while Chen was approximately 45) the pair began a romantic relationship and quickly eloped, potentially due to Renata becoming pregnant.

The family moved back to China while Ximena was a toddler but she would end up splitting her time between there and Mexico, due to her father's work and the presence of family. She grew up intensely patriotic and very pro-Third World, seeing Chinese opposition to both the Soviets and the Americans as an attitude other nonaligned nations should copy. With the implementation of Dengist reforms came an increase in the private sector of the Chinese economy, and Chen, with his business background and overseas contacts, was well-placed to benefit. Dealing mainly in real estate and stocks, he taught his daughter that the only way to survive and thrive was to be adaptable, getting onto and bailing from trends before anyone else. Ximena took to this lesson, which likely impacted her outlook on life.

Despite her intense patriotism Huang was something of a problem child. While very intelligent she did merely okay in school and had a record of disciplinary issues, mainly disorderly conduct and underage drinking. Records suggest that she was suspected of affiliating with minor street gangs, but it appears as if she was never formally charged with such. Her father kept her out of any serious trouble, and despite her mediocre grades, she got into university, where she began to shine.

Ximena studied both in-country at Peking University, with an emphasis on finance and economics, as well as overseas at the National Autonomous University of Mexico where she was educated in Latin American studies. Her master's thesis was on the interplay of Chinese and LatAm economies and was well-received enough that an excerpt was published in the Journal of Latin American Studies. After graduating she went to work for her father, serving as his representative in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

With the advent of the Heavenfall and the destruction of the old way of doing things, China expanded its espionage and counterintelligence activities greatly. The Ministry of State Security was given an increased budget and a free hand to organize itself as required, and its International Intelligence Burea, in particular, expanded and reorganized itself to face new challenges. The "Second Burea" began to recruit unorthodox agents with valuable skill sets, and Ximena was headhunted shortly after the impact. She was an analyst scrutinizing the activities of foreign companies for any impropriety, passing along her observations to investigators.

That role was just what she did on paper. In actuality, Huang was herself a spy. Her business background and ability to ingratiate herself with criminals made her well-suited to undercover work, and she was provided a series of cover identities and employees as part of Pacific Enterprises [see attached file]. While her job title changed regularly she was responsible for ensuring transport and the protection of inventory, ostensibly for second-hand civilian equipment and heavy industry goods. In actuality, Huang was involved in the covert movement of people, money, and weapons to various forces around the globe. She spent 3 years in this role, before the MSS decided to better utilize her particular background by inserting her into Mexico.

Her new papers identified her as Amy Guo, a business executive out of work due to the rampant destruction in Los Angeles. “Guo” was originally a corporate spy but due to the economic crisis of the disaster was now a lone actor willing to sell out her old bosses.

Through a contact in the Chinese embassy in Mexico City (an old friend of her fathers, although for operational secrecy said friend was not informed of who she was) she was inserted into Fabricante Diaz, a subsidiary of NeoDyne.

FD was a largely unknown entity with a history of projects that never went anywhere, and it was long thought by Mexican authorities to have remained solvent through laundering dirty money invested by corrupt officials and simple criminals, but it did have promising experiments in the miniaturization of chemical and electrical lasers. Such technology was something China wanted to keep an eye on, and “Guo” was in a perfect position to watch it.

Her job was multifaceted. She kept the MSS informed of Diaz’s work on lasers while feeding NeoDyne supposed industry secrets, information that the megacorp would already have known or was largely inconsequential but established her bona fides. She also liaised with the cartels as well as elements of Mexico’s remnant law enforcement and government that were happy to pick up some extra pay, establishing a network of safe houses and listening posts to keep an eye on the region. Finally, if there were elements that needed to be dealt with through force it fell to her to arrange their rendition or killing.

She seems to have enjoyed this period immensely. Living double lives suited her ego and the combination of her expense account, two salaries and kickbacks from Fabricante Diaz and her new friends in the underworld allowed her to indulge in base desires. Typically lavish spending is not something a spy should do, but Huang had arranged her cover so that it would be odd if she wasn’t. NeoDyne and local officials were well aware that Amy Guo was selling secrets from her old company to the highest bidder to fund her extravagant lifestyle, but they had no idea she was on the MSS payroll.

It was during this period that she reconnected with Zuhal al-Saqqaf, a Saudi national she had shared a college dorm with. While they had been close during their shared time at Peking University and slept with each other in a couple of instances, al-Saqqaf went on to finish her studies in England while Huang went to Mexico, and they exchanged only a few messages as they started their respective careers. al-Saqqaf, having gotten a job in the Chinese energy industry with the collapse of the Middle East and not sure which of her old acquaintances had survived the Heavenfall, reached out to Huang via New China's London embassy, and they met for drinks.

Huang was unwilling to discuss the circumstances of her and al-Saqqaf becoming a semi-permanent couple, but it was likely due to their similar backgrounds and outlooks. Zuhal's father and uncle both made their fortune during the 70s and 80s off of natural gas reserves and other resources, meaning that she was thrust into high society at around the same time as Ximena. Zuhal was also known to flaunt social mores, running into trouble with the morality police several times.

An obvious tie between them was their orientation and related struggles. According to interviews with family and friends now outside the country, al-Saqqaf's attraction to women was discovered by her father shortly after she went abroad for school and she was entirely cut off, potentially on pain of death if she returned. Ximena's circumstances were not nearly that dire, but by her own admittance she was always cautious about keeping her relationships with women to herself and only came out to her family when ordered by the MSS to ensure she couldn't be blackmailed.

Besides their shared past Huang and al-Saqqaf's relationship benefited in that both of them had neither the time nor the inclination for something permanent or monogamous. Ximena was preoccupied with her spy work while Zuhal was often traveling due to her chemical engineering career, setting up ethanol and hydrogen production for New China and its allies. Additionally, Huang was a serial libertine and al-Saqqaf was still recovering from a previous relationship, leaving both parties uninterested in becoming a 'couple' by traditional standards.

That said, they met whenever they could, catching red-eye flights to make it to dinner and spending nights in each other's apartments whenever they were in the same area. Huang refused to elaborate on these meetings, but she did make it clear that neither of them knew about the others work outside of vague generalities. al-Saqqaf was aware that Huang did analysis work for the MSS and Huang knew that Zuhal was working for the National Energy Administration, but evidently neither of them pried. Analysis suggests Zuhal was “safe” in a way other people were not, allowing Huang to let her guard down and be vulnerable, or at least emotionally intimate.

Eventually Fabricante Diaz went insolvent, the chaotic state of Mexico not conducive to the production required to keep it afloat. Huang wrapped up operations and passed along contact information to those assets deemed worth keeping, ensuring that China would still have eyes and ears in Mexico. Ximena herself was transferred back to Beijing for desk duty, and her case officer operation was shelved. Fabricante Diaz had made some notable advances in miniaturizing and venting heat from laser weapons technology, but they were ultimately minor and not anything that hadn’t been theorized before. Huang’s mission was a success in that she had infiltrated NeoDyne undetected and laid the groundwork for a lucrative network in the region, but with the company she was embedded in no longer existing it was deemed prudent to extract her. Friendlies in the American justice system and Interpol arranged for a warrant to be put out on Amy Guo for corporate espionage and wire fraud, leading to her arrest and deportation. The private contractors who picked her up were not actually hired by the United States of course, and she was shuttled back to China clean.

Her good work had earned her a promotion but her inability to turn off her maverick tendencies once back in official service gained the mistrust of her superiors. It was decided to simultaneously reward and punish her by making her a Case Manager, essentially a handler for case officers who were transitory in some way as opposed to being permanently planted. It was a step up in her career but it was a step away from the action, as her superiors wanted to make use of her skills but were concerned that she would become a liability.

Moving away from the field was not what Ximena wanted, and since this was not an optional reassignment she couldn’t just turn it down in favor of staying a case officer. She instead sought out alternate opportunities to serve her country. At the time the MSS was collaborating with military intelligence to create a PMC for deniable operations, allowing force projection without risking open warfare. This PMC, Lucky Dog Defense, is ostensibly a publicly traded company taking on jobs for various parties, but it was very much an arm of the Chinese state.

Similar to Shattered Steel in scope, Lucky Dog had an eclectic mix of personnel and equipment from different countries and eras, combining its varied inventory to perform operations on land, air, and sea. Ximena pushed to become a fighter pilot, a departure from her previous role. She managed to convince her superiors to allow the transfer on the basis that her work with Fabricante Diaz, a firm that dealt with aerospace technology, and her intelligence background made her suited to semi-covert aerial operations. That and her tendency to play fast and loose in office politics made someone above her happy to make her someone else’s problem.

She transferred out of her analyst role to Lucky Dog's fighter wing, doing well in training and allowed to serve as a fighter pilot. Lucky Dog had bases around the world but much of its manpower was fleet-based, giving it a reason to invest in carrier-born craft. That explains why they had access to the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (better known as the F22 'Sea Raptor') but now how. The best guess is that in the aftermath of the Heavenfall, rogue naval officers sold off their stocks to the highest bidder, but it's unclear. Regardless, Huang ended up flying a purpose-built air supremacy craft and found she had both the talent and inclination for dogfighting.

It was during her tenure with Lucky Dog that Ximena would become the full-time partner of Zuhal, the pair sharing a high-end apartment in Macau when not working in the field. This life suited Huang rather nicely, as Macau's status as the "Las Vegas of the East" meant that she could indulge herself as she pleased with the money she made from each mission.

Unbeknowst to her however, Zuhal was not as comfortable. Her government paycheck allowed for comfortable living but not outlandishly so, and she had developed a taste for the finer things in life just like Huang had. al-Saqqaf had taken to extralegal activities to fund herself, while Ximena had been performing industrial espionage for China Zuhal had been doing it for herself. Using her expertise in the field of fuel production and her access to state resources, she had been involved in the smuggling of black market energy for years without Ximena knowing about it, and she only revealed this secret once authorities began to close in.

Three years into Ximena's time with Lucky Dog Zuhal took her to a secluded place and revealed her secret, and that she was sure she was being tailed. Not sure what to do she looked to Ximena for help. Ximena knew that law enforcement had her dead to rights and had refrained from arresting her to see if she would reveal her co-conspirators. Once they had her, she would face trial and, in all likelihood, execution for treason. More to the point, Ximena was also at risk. While she hadn't even known that al-Saqqaf had been making money on the side, the fact that she herself had been a spy meant that ignorance would not be accepted as an excuse. Regardless of her lack of involvement, she would be scooped up and shot alongside her partner to clean house.

Ximena kept this realization to herself and told Zuhal to sit tight for the moment, and that soon she'd have arranged safe haven for them. In actuality she moved what cash she could to offshore accounts and dropped everything, including Zuhal. The week after the conversation she reported to work as usual and requested time in-air for maneuver training. Once airborne she simply veered off, using the Raptor's high speed and stealth capabilities to flee.

She defected to Shattered Steel after three years in Lucky Dog, and after the mandatory debriefing and background checks to ensure she wasn't a double agent, allowed to keep flying the same plane she stole.

Personal Gear:

• MGA SAW K in .300 Blackout, with attached laser, flashlight and suppressor. An unorthodox weapon for a Chinese agent or indeed a pilot, Huang got acquired this in Mexico and has managed to ship or smuggle it around the world.
• Smith and Wesson Model 629 in .44 Magnum snubnosed, capable of being concealed in a specially enlarged jacket pocket. Ximena states that she preferred to carry low-caliber pocket pistols when working for the MSS due to their utility as assassination weapons, but since defecting has switched to magnums in order to guarantee she can kill an attacker in one shot.
• Buck 102 Hunting Knife
• Ximena is a heavy drinker and smoker and so keeps a stash in her personal locker, both her preferred cognac and cigars, as well as cheap rotgut and cigarettes. Dice and cards are stored in the same place, if not on her person.

Personal Aircraft: Lockheed Martin F-22N "Sea Raptor"- Carrier-capable variant of the F-22 Raptor, largely the same as its progenitor save for the addition of variable-sweep wings and strengthened landing gear.



Aircraft modifications: A short, bulleted list of what has been altered or modified on your characters' plane

• Ukrainian-style sky camoflage
• Depiction of La Calavera Catrina alongside the nose.
• Modifications to the payload system allow the Raptor to equip a variety of Chinese and Soviet ordnance in addition to the standard N/UN munitions.
• Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display
• Updatedd avionics
• Upgraded Radar: AN/APG-81
• AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System

Anything Else: Completely optional, but if there's any other information you deem relevant to your character or wish to include, such as a particular song, quotes, additional art, or so on; please feel free to add it under the relevant headings.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (Closed to new applications)

Arsala Khattak

Name: Arsala Khattak

Age: 43, DOB January 22, 1982

Gender: Female

Nationality: American, of Afghan origin

Primary Role: Marksman

Secondary Role: Human Intelligence

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

Bio: Arsala and her parents emigrated from war-torn Afghanistan when she was an infant to Austin, Texas, where she was encouraged to assimilate as best she could. Immersed in the local culture and speaking multiple languages at home, she would take an interest in hunting and basic Spanish skils which eventually matured into hobbies of long-distance shooting and general linguistics. She was something of a prodigy in the latter, demonstrating both great interest and aptitude for languages. By the time she left high school, she was both a champion sharpshooter and a full-on polyglot, speaking English, Pashto, French, Spanish, and Dari and deadset on learning more.

She went to college but dropped out her first year, enticed to Army service by the chance to fight for her home country as well as the promise of Uncle Sam paying for her education afterwards. Joining the 101st Airborne, she quickly demonstrated her ability to communicate with locals due to her knowledge of the language and often used to question and search women to avoid the issues that came with having foreign men do so. After her first tour, she requested she be transferred to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, where she was both a student and an instructor. Picking up fluency in Russian, she began to reach out to pen pals around the world to ensure that her language skills stayed sharp. Her second tour in country saw her attached to Delta Force's G Squadron, taking part in intelligence gathering and special operations. While she was good at it, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the role and was growing tired of Army life. Once her active service ended she went into civilian law enforcement, first in the Los Angeles Police Department and then later transfering to the Texas Highway Patrol to be closer to her parents. Eventually she applied to become a Texas Ranger, receiving her silver star and working through the ranks.

Serving both in regular duties and on the Ranger Reconnaissance team, it was there that her belief in community outreach was solidified, growing to rely on local goodwill and willigness to speak to police to make her work easier. While lacking the traditional 'operator' status of her colleagues, Arsala's experience in HUMANIT and law enforcement as well as her language skills and ability with a rifle make her a solid choice for countering the Order of the Blessed Star. Although she wasn't forced to join Spearhead (indeed, she couldn't have been as the military doesn't have authority over her anymore) she is somewhat relucant to be back in an overtly combative role. One of the reasons she became a cop was knowing that she would only ever pull a trigger when things went wrong, so adjusting to active service will take some time. That said, she's reliable and will do what needs to be done.

Service History:

• Recruited while in college at 19: 2001
• Joined 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" and deployed to Afghanistan. Took part in Operation Anaconda as well as numerous patrols, distinguishes herself as capable of communicating with locals in stressful or combat situation: 2002-2003
• After first overseas deployment, goes to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, studies Russian and assists in the instruction of Pashto and Dari: 2003-2004
• Second tour is spent as a translator and cultural liaison, in a role similar to the later Female Engagement Teams. Her knowledge of local languages and customs and her being a woman allowed her to interact with locals in ways male counterparts often could not.
• Female soldiers who spoke Pashto being a rarity, she was attached to Delta Force G Squadron. Worked with SOCCOM and CIA Special Activities Division in intelligence gathering and Advanced Force Operations. Earned the Meritorious Service Medal for her actions as well as a Purple Heart after being wounded by enemy fire: 2004-2005
• Finishes active duty component of service, enrolls in Individual Ready Reserve. Upon returning to the United States she settles in California and joins the Los Angeles Police Academy. Serves as a patrol officer, then a K9 handler: 2005-2011
• Returns to school to finish bachelors in Linguistics: 2006-2010
• Returns to Texas to be closer to ailing parents, transfers from LAPD to Texas Highway Patrol. Continuing to work as a dog handler, she shows initiative in community outreach efforts. Involved in a number of high-profile drug busts in rural West Texas and along the border: 2011-2014
• Earns a masters degree in Civic Engagement: 2012-2014
• Spends a year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of an outreach program by American law enforcement and assists in the training of local officers. While there becomes proficient in Swahili: 2014-2015
• Upon returning, begins the highly competitive process of becoming a Texas Ranger. Receives her silver star and is granted jurisdiction over all of Texas: 2016
• Performs standard duties of Rangers, providing assistance to local law enforcement as well as investigating officer involved shootings. In addition, is part of the Ranger Reconnaissance Team. Covertly surveils the border and patrols areas where LEO presence is unfeasible. Again shows herself to be skilled in HUMANIT, displays a knack for interrogation and the cultivation of informants as well as relying on personal bonds forged with the community to open doors. Promotes through the ranks to Captain: 2016-2024
• Approached by Spearhead for Operation Godslayer, initially turned the offer before being informed of her planned role as HUMANIT in addition to Marksman: 2024

Primary Weapon:
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

• Barrett MRAD:
  -Typically in .338 Lapua Magnum, can quickly be converted to other calibers if required.
  -Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45x56 scope, with HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -26 inch barrel
  -Barrett AML338 suppressor

• Desert Tech HTI
  -.50 BMG
  -Vortex Golden Eagle HD 15-60x52 scope, HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -29 inch barrel
  -CGS Keres suppressor

• FN P90 Tactical LV
  -5.7×28mm
  -EOTech Exps2 Holographic Sight
  -10 inch barrel
  -GSL P90 suppressor
  -Inbuilt laser sight
  -Rail-mounted flashlight

Sidearm:

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

Ammunition
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

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

Other gear/weapons/equipment:

• IOTV style vest with SAAPI plates, in black.
• MOLLE II style rucksack, in black.
• AN/PSQ-42 night vision
• Zeiss Victory Rangefinder/Binoculars
• M50 gas mask
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset
• "Cinco Peso" badge, typically pinned to vest.
• Randall Made Bowie Knife
• IR strobe
• Encrypted cell phone and laptop with ballistics calculator
• Two M67 fragmentation grenades
• Two M84 stun grenades
• One AN/M14 thermite grenade
• TASER 10 electroshock weapon
• OC spray
• Lockpick set and pick gun
• Video borescope
• Two pairs of handcuffs
• Bundle of flexi-cuffs
• Rappelling Kit: Rope, descender, and climbing harness
• Hydration pouch
• Items for use in dealing with civilians. Khattak has access to a wide range of goods not all of which are carried on her, ranging from cash for bribes and damage payments to toys and candy for children to blankets, cooking oil and water purification tablets for handing out in areas with poor infrastructure.
• "Zaland'-Four year old Belgian Malinois, trained in detection as well as attack and sentry duties. Wears combined-threat body armor and goggles with attached camera so Arsala can see what he's doing. If required his harness can be clipped to Arsala's body so she can carry him.

Other useful information:

• Khattak has only two hobbies, splitting her free time between keeping up her shooting and practicing her various languages. Both are perishable skills, so if she's not with her family or work she's either at the range or engaging with foreign media.
• Besides her native English, Pashto, and Dari she speaks Spanish, French and Swahili with perfect or near-perfect fluency. She has a working knowledge of Russian and ASL, but she's admittedly rusty.
• Arsala is married and has two children, a four-year-old daughter and a twelve-year old son. They're one of the reasons she was reluctant to take part in Operation Godslayer.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (Closed to new applications)

Not finished, hopefully wrapping up over weekend

Arsala Khattak

Name: Arsala Khattak

Age: 43, DOB January 22, 1982

Gender: Female

Nationality: American, of Afghan origin

Primary Role: Marksman

Secondary Role: Human Intelligence

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

Bio: Arsala and her parents emigrated from war-torn Afghanistan when she was an infant to Austin, Texas, where she was encouraged to assimilate as best she could. Immersed in the local culture and speaking multiple languages at home, she would take an interest in hunting and basic Spanish skils which eventually matured into hobbies of long-distance shooting and general linguistics. She was something of a prodigy in the latter, demonstrating both great interest and aptitude for languages. By the time she left high school, she was both a champion sharpshooter and a full-on polyglot, speaking English, Pashto, French, Spanish, and Dari and deadset on learning more.

She went to college but dropped out her first year, enticed to Army service by the chance to fight for her home country as well as the promise of Uncle Sam paying for her education afterwards. Joining the 101st Airborne, she quickly demonstrated her ability to communicate with locals due to her knowledge of the language and often used to question and search women to avoid the issues that came with having foreign men do so. After her first tour, she requested she be transferred to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, where she was both a student and an instructor. Picking up fluency in Russian, she began to reach out to pen pals around the world to ensure that her language skills stayed sharp. Her second tour in country saw her attached to Delta Force's G Squadron, taking part in intelligence gathering and special operations. While she was good at it, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the role and was growing tired of Army life. Once her active service ended she went into civilian law enforcement, first in the Los Angeles Police Department and then later transfering to the Texas Highway Patrol to be closer to her parents. Eventually she applied to become a Texas Ranger, receiving her silver star and working through the ranks.

Serving both in regular duties and on the Ranger Reconnaissance team, it was there that her belief in community outreach was solidified, growing to rely on local goodwill and willigness to speak to police to make her work easier. While lacking the traditional 'operator' status of her colleagues, Arsala's experience in HUMANIT and law enforcement as well as her language skills and ability with a rifle make her a solid choice for countering the Order of the Blessed Star. Although she wasn't forced to join Spearhead (indeed, she couldn't have been as the military doesn't have authority over her anymore) she is somewhat relucant to be back in an overtly combative role. One of the reasons she became a cop was knowing that she would only ever pull a trigger when things went wrong, so adjusting to active service will take some time. That said, she's reliable and will do what needs to be done.

Service History:

• Recruited while in college at 19: 2001
• Joined 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" and deployed to Afghanistan. Took part in Operation Anaconda as well as numerous patrols, distinguishes herself as capable of communicating with locals in stressful or combat situation: 2002-2003
• After first overseas deployment, goes to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, studies Russian and assists in the instruction of Pashto and Dari: 2003-2004
• Second tour is spent as a translator and cultural liaison, in a role similar to the later Female Engagement Teams. Her knowledge of local languages and customs and her being a woman allowed her to interact with locals in ways male counterparts often could not.
• Female soldiers who spoke Pashto being a rarity, she was attached to Delta Force G Squadron. Worked with SOCCOM and CIA Special Activities Division in intelligence gathering and Advanced Force Operations. Earned the Meritorious Service Medal for her actions as well as a Purple Heart after being wounded by enemy fire: 2004-2005
• Finishes active duty component of service, enrolls in Individual Ready Reserve. Upon returning to the United States she settles in California and joins the Los Angeles Police Academy. Serves as a patrol officer, then a K9 handler: 2005-2011
• Returns to school to finish bachelors in Linguistics: 2006-2010
• Returns to Texas to be closer to ailing parents, transfers from LAPD to Texas Highway Patrol. Continuing to work as a dog handler, she shows initiative in community outreach efforts. Involved in a number of high-profile drug busts in rural West Texas and along the border: 2011-2014
• Earns a masters degree in Civic Engagement: 2012-2014
• Spends a year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of an outreach program by American law enforcement and assists in the training of local officers. While there becomes proficient in Swahili: 2014-2015
• Upon returning, begins the highly competitive process of becoming a Texas Ranger. Receives her silver star and is granted jurisdiction over all of Texas: 2016
• Performs standard duties of Rangers, providing assistance to local law enforcement as well as investigating officer involved shootings. In addition, is part of the Ranger Reconnaissance Team. Covertly surveils the border and patrols areas where LEO presence is unfeasible. Again shows herself to be skilled in HUMANIT, displays a knack for interrogation and the cultivation of informants as well as relying on personal bonds forged with the community to open doors. Promotes through the ranks to Captain: 2016-2024
• Approached by Spearhead for Operation Godslayer, initially turned the offer before being informed of her planned role as HUMANIT in addition to Marksman: 2024

Primary Weapon:
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

• Barrett MRAD:
  -Typically in .338 Lapua Magnum, can quickly be converted to other calibers if required.
  -Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45x56 scope, with HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -26 inch barrel
  -Barrett AML338 suppressor

• Desert Tech HTI
  -.50 BMG
  -Vortex Golden Eagle HD 15-60x52 scope, HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -29 inch barrel
  -CGS Keres suppressor

• FN P90 Tactical LV
  -5.7×28mm
  -EOTech Exps2 Holographic Sight
  -10 inch barrel
  -GSL P90 suppressor
  -Inbuilt laser sight
  -Rail-mounted flashlight

Sidearm:

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

Other gear/weapons/equipment:

• IOTV style vest with SAAPI plates, in black.
• MOLLE II style rucksack, in black.
• AN/PSQ-42 night vision
• Zeiss Victory Rangefinder/Binoculars
• M50 gas mask
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset
• "Cinco Peso" badge, typically pinned to vest.
• Randall Made Bowie Knife
• IR strobe
• Encrypted cell phone and laptop with ballistics calculator
• Two M67 fragmentation grenades
• Two M84 stun grenades
• One AN/M14 thermite grenade
• TASER 10 electroshock weapon
• OC spray
• Lockpick set and pick gun
• Video borescope
• Two pairs of handcuffs
• Bundle of flexi-cuffs
• Rappelling Kit: Rope, descender, and climbing harness
• Hydration pouch
• Items for use in dealing with civilians. Khattak has access to a wide range of goods not all of which are carried on her, ranging from cash for bribes and damage payments to toys and candy for children to blankets, cooking oil and water purification tablets for handing out in areas with poor infrastructure.
• "Zaland'-Four year old Belgian Malinois, trained in detection as well as attack and sentry duties. Wears combined-threat body armor and goggles with attached camera so Arsala can see what he's doing. If required his harness can be clipped to Arsala's body so she can carry him.

Other useful information:

• Khattak has only two hobbies, splitting her free time between keeping up her shooting and practicing her various languages. Both are perishable skills, so if she's not with her family or work she's either at the range or engaging with foreign media.
• Besides her native English, Pashto, and Dari she speaks Spanish, French and Swahili with perfect or near-perfect fluency. She has a working knowledge of Russian and ASL, but she's admittedly rusty.
• Arsala is married and has two children, a four-year-old daughter and a twelve-year old son. They're one of the reasons she was reluctant to take part in Operation Godslayer.

@Smike

I believe I’m done save for grammatical errors, but I can’t really edit on my phone so I’ll have to do those later

Smike's Sheets

Arsala Khattak

Name: Arsala Khattak

Age: 43, DOB January 22, 1982

Gender: Female

Nationality: American, of Afghan origin

Primary Role: Marksman

Secondary Role: Human Intelligence

Appearance:
At 5'6", Arsala is relatively tall for a woman and very much so for a Pashtun but is still shorter than most of the men she meets. FINISH THIS

Bio: Arsala and her parents emigrated from war-torn Afghanistan when she was an infant to Austin, Texas, where she was encouraged to assimilate as best she could. Immersed in the local culture and speaking multiple languages at home, she would take an interest in hunting and basic Spanish skils which eventually matured into hobbies of long-distance shooting and general linguistics. She was something of a prodigy in the latter, demonstrating both great interest and aptitude for languages. By the time she left high school, she was both a champion sharpshooter and a full-on polyglot, speaking English, Pashto, French, Spanish, and Dari and deadset on learning more.

She went to college but dropped out her first year, enticed to Army service by the chance to fight for her home country as well as the promise of Uncle Sam paying for her education afterwards. Joining the 101st Airborne, she quickly demonstrated her ability to communicate with locals due to her knowledge of the language and often used to question and search women to avoid the issues that came with having foreign men do so. After her first tour, she requested she be transferred to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, where she was both a student and an instructor. Picking up fluency in Russian, she began to reach out to pen pals around the world to ensure that her language skills stayed sharp. Her second tour in country saw her attached to Delta Force's G Squadron, taking part in intelligence gathering and special operations. While she was good at it, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the role and was growing tired of Army life. Once her active service ended she went into civilian law enforcement, first in the Los Angeles Police Department and then later transfering to the Texas Highway Patrol to be closer to her parents. Eventually she applied to become a Texas Ranger, receiving her silver star and working through the ranks.

Serving both in regular duties and on the Ranger Reconnaissance team. It was there that her belief in community outreach was solidified, growing to rely on local goodwill and willigness to speak to police to make her work easier. While lacking the traditional 'operator' status of her colleagues, Arsala's experience in HUMANIT and law enforcement as well as her language skills and ability with a rifle make her a solid choice for countering the Order of the Blessed Star. Although she wasn't forced to join Spearhead (indeed, she couldn't have been as the military doesn't have authority over her anymore) she is somewhat relucant to be back in an overtly combative role. One of the reasons she became a cop was knowing that she would only ever pull a trigger when things went wrong, so adjusting to active service will take some time. That said, she's reliable and will do what needs to be done.

Service History:

• Recruited while in college at 19: 2001
• Joined 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" and deployed to Afghanistan. Took part in Operation Anaconda as well as numerous patrols, distinguishes herself as capable of communicating with locals in stressful or combat situation: 2002-2003
• After first overseas deployment, goes to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, studies Russian and assists in the instruction of Pashto and Dari: 2003-2004
• Second tour is spent as a translator and cultural liaison, in a role similar to the later Female Engagement Teams. Her knowledge of local languages and customs and her being a woman allowed her to interact with locals in ways male counterparts often could not.
• Female soldiers who spoke Pashto being a rarity, she was attached to Delta Force G Squadron. Worked with SOCCOM and CIA Special Activities Division in intelligence gathering and Advanced Force Operations. Earned the Meritorious Service Medal for her actions as well as a Purple Heart after being wounded by enemy fire: 2004-2005
• Finishes active duty component of service, enrolls in Individual Ready Reserve. Upon returning to the United States she settles in California and joins the Los Angeles Police Academy. Serves as a patrol officer, then a K9 handler: 2005-2011
• Returns to school to finish bachelors in Linguistics: 2006-2010
• Returns to Texas to be closer to ailing parents, transfers from LAPD to Texas Highway Patrol. Continuing to work as a dog handler, she shows initiative in community outreach efforts. Involved in a number of high-profile drug busts in rural West Texas and along the border: 2011-2014
• Earns a masters degree in Civic Engagement: 2012-2014
• Spends a year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of an outreach program by American law enforcement and assists in the training of local officers. While there becomes proficient in Swahili: 2014-2015
• Upon returning, begins the highly competitive process of becoming a Texas Ranger. Receives her silver star and is granted jurisdiction over all of Texas: 2016
• Performs standard duties of Rangers, providing assistance to local law enforcement as well as investigating officer involved shootings. In addition, is part of the Ranger Reconnaissance Team. Covertly surveils the border and patrols areas where LEO presence is unfeasible. Again shows herself to be skilled in HUMANIT, displays a knack for interrogation and the cultivation of informants as well as relying on personal bonds forged with the community to open doors. Promotes through the ranks to Captain: 2016-2024
• Approached by Spearhead for Operation Godslayer, initially turned the offer before being informed of her planned role as HUMANIT in addition to Marksman: 2024

Primary Weapon:
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

• Barrett MRAD:
  -Typically in .338 Lapua Magnum, can quickly be converted to other calibers if required.
  -Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45x56 scope, with HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -26 inch barrel
  -Barrett AML338 suppressor

• Desert Tech HTI
  -.50 BMG
  -Vortex Golden Eagle HD 15-60x52 scope, HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -29 inch barrel
  -CGS Keres suppressor

• FN P90 Tactical LV
  -5.7×28mm
  -EOTech Exps2 Holographic Sight
  -10 inch barrel
  -GSL P90 suppressor
  -Inbuilt laser sight
  -Rail-mounted flashlight

Sidearm:

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

Other gear/weapons/equipment:

• IOTV style vest with SAAPI plates, in black.
• MOLLE II style rucksack, in black.
• AN/PSQ-42 night vision
• Zeiss Victory Rangefinder/Binoculars
• M50 gas mask
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset
• "Cinco Peso" badge, typically pinned to vest.
• Randall Made Bowie Knife
• IR strobe
• Encrypted cell phone and laptop with ballistics calculator
• Two M67 fragmentation grenades
• Two M84 stun grenades
• One AN/M14 thermite grenade
• Two pairs of handcuffs
• Bundle of flexi-cuffs
• Rappelling Kit: Rope, descender, and climbing harness
• Hydration pouch
• Items for use in dealing with civilians. Khattak has access to a wide range of goods not all of which are carried on her, ranging from cash for bribes and damage payments to toys and candy for children to blankets, cooking oil and water purification tablets for handing out in areas with poor infrastructure.
• "Zaland'-Four year old Belgian Malinois, trained in detection as well as attack and sentry duties. Wears combined-threat body armor and goggles with attached camera so Arsala can see what he's doing. If required his harness can be clipped to Arsala's body so she can carry him.

Other useful information:

• Khattak has only two hobbies, splitting her free time between keeping up her shooting and practicing her various languages. Both are perishable skills, so if she's not with her family or work she's either at the range or engaging with foreign media.
• Besides her native English, Pashto, and Dari she speaks Spanish, French and Swahili with perfect or near-perfect fluency. She has a working knowledge of Russian, but she's admittedly rusty.
• Arsala is married and has two children, a four-year-old daughter and a twelve-year old son. They're one of the reasons she was reluctant to take part in Operation Godslayer.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (Closed to new applications)

Not finished, hopefully wrapping up over weekend

Arsala Khattak

Name: Arsala Khattak

Age: 43, DOB January 22, 1982

Gender: Female

Nationality: American, of Afghan origin

Primary Role: Marksman

Secondary Role: Human Intelligence

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

Bio: Arsala and her parents emigrated from war-torn Afghanistan when she was an infant to Austin, Texas, where she was encouraged to assimilate as best she could. Immersed in the local culture and speaking multiple languages at home, she would take an interest in hunting and basic Spanish skils which eventually matured into hobbies of long-distance shooting and general linguistics. She was something of a prodigy in the latter, demonstrating both great interest and aptitude for languages. By the time she left high school, she was both a champion sharpshooter and a full-on polyglot, speaking English, Pashto, French, Spanish, and Dari and deadset on learning more.

She went to college but dropped out her first year, enticed to Army service by the chance to fight for her home country as well as the promise of Uncle Sam paying for her education afterwards. Joining the 101st Airborne, she quickly demonstrated her ability to communicate with locals due to her knowledge of the language and often used to question and search women to avoid the issues that came with having foreign men do so. After her first tour, she requested she be transferred to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, where she was both a student and an instructor. Picking up fluency in Russian, she began to reach out to pen pals around the world to ensure that her language skills stayed sharp. Her second tour in country saw her attached to Delta Force's G Squadron, taking part in intelligence gathering and special operations. While she was good at it, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the role and was growing tired of Army life. Once her active service ended she went into civilian law enforcement, first in the Los Angeles Police Department and then later transfering to the Texas Highway Patrol to be closer to her parents. Eventually she applied to become a Texas Ranger, receiving her silver star and working through the ranks.

Serving both in regular duties and on the Ranger Reconnaissance team. It was there that her belief in community outreach was solidified, growing to rely on local goodwill and willigness to speak to police to make her work easier. While lacking the traditional 'operator' status of her colleagues, Arsala's experience in HUMANIT and law enforcement as well as her language skills and ability with a rifle make her a solid choice for countering the Order of the Blessed Star. Although she wasn't forced to join Spearhead (indeed, she couldn't have been as the military doesn't have authority over her anymore) she is somewhat relucant to be back in an overtly combative role. One of the reasons she became a cop was knowing that she would only ever pull a trigger when things went wrong, so adjusting to active service will take some time. That said, she's reliable and will do what needs to be done.

Service History:

• Recruited while in college at 19: 2001
• Joined 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" and deployed to Afghanistan. Took part in Operation Anaconda as well as numerous patrols, distinguishes herself as capable of communicating with locals in stressful or combat situation: 2002-2003
• After first overseas deployment, goes to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, studies Russian and assists in the instruction of Pashto and Dari: 2003-2004
• Second tour is spent as a translator and cultural liaison, in a role similar to the later Female Engagement Teams. Her knowledge of local languages and customs and her being a woman allowed her to interact with locals in ways male counterparts often could not.
• Female soldiers who spoke Pashto being a rarity, she was attached to Delta Force G Squadron. Worked with SOCCOM and CIA Special Activities Division in intelligence gathering and Advanced Force Operations. Earned the Meritorious Service Medal for her actions as well as a Purple Heart after being wounded by enemy fire: 2004-2005
• Finishes active duty component of service, enrolls in Individual Ready Reserve. Upon returning to the United States she settles in California and joins the Los Angeles Police Academy. Serves as a patrol officer, then a K9 handler: 2005-2011
• Returns to school to finish bachelors in Linguistics: 2006-2010
• Returns to Texas to be closer to ailing parents, transfers from LAPD to Texas Highway Patrol. Continuing to work as a dog handler, she shows initiative in community outreach efforts. Involved in a number of high-profile drug busts in rural West Texas and along the border: 2011-2014
• Earns a masters degree in Civic Engagement: 2012-2014
• Spends a year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of an outreach program by American law enforcement and assists in the training of local officers. While there becomes proficient in Swahili: 2014-2015
• Upon returning, begins the highly competitive process of becoming a Texas Ranger. Receives her silver star and is granted jurisdiction over all of Texas: 2016
• Performs standard duties of Rangers, providing assistance to local law enforcement as well as investigating officer involved shootings. In addition, is part of the Ranger Reconnaissance Team. Covertly surveils the border and patrols areas where LEO presence is unfeasible. Again shows herself to be skilled in HUMANIT, displays a knack for interrogation and the cultivation of informants as well as relying on personal bonds forged with the community to open doors. Promotes through the ranks to Captain: 2016-2024
• Approached by Spearhead for Operation Godslayer, initially turned the offer before being informed of her planned role as HUMANIT in addition to Marksman: 2024

Primary Weapon:
To be selected from as mission parameters dictate

• Barrett MRAD:
  -Typically in .338 Lapua Magnum, can quickly be converted to other calibers if required.
  -Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-45x56 scope, with HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -26 inch barrel
  -Barrett AML338 suppressor

• Desert Tech HTI
  -.50 BMG
  -Vortex Golden Eagle HD 15-60x52 scope, HISS-XLR clip-on thermal sight
  -29 inch barrel
  -CGS Keres suppressor

• FN P90 Tactical LV
  -5.7×28mm
  -EOTech Exps2 Holographic Sight
  -10 inch barrel
  -GSL P90 suppressor
  -Inbuilt laser sight
  -Rail-mounted flashlight

Sidearm:

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

Other gear/weapons/equipment:

• IOTV style vest with SAAPI plates, in black.
• MOLLE II style rucksack, in black.
• AN/PSQ-42 night vision
• Zeiss Victory Rangefinder/Binoculars
• M50 gas mask
• Sordin Supreme MIL CC headset
• "Cinco Peso" badge, typically pinned to vest.
• Randall Made Bowie Knife
• IR strobe
• Encrypted cell phone and laptop with ballistics calculator
• Two M67 fragmentation grenades
• Two M84 stun grenades
• One AN/M14 thermite grenade
• TASER 10 electroshock weapon
• OC spray
• Lockpick set and pick gun
• Video borescope
• Two pairs of handcuffs
• Bundle of flexi-cuffs
• Rappelling Kit: Rope, descender, and climbing harness
• Hydration pouch
• Items for use in dealing with civilians. Khattak has access to a wide range of goods not all of which are carried on her, ranging from cash for bribes and damage payments to toys and candy for children to blankets, cooking oil and water purification tablets for handing out in areas with poor infrastructure.
• "Zaland'-Four year old Belgian Malinois, trained in detection as well as attack and sentry duties. Wears combined-threat body armor and goggles with attached camera so Arsala can see what he's doing. If required his harness can be clipped to Arsala's body so she can carry him.

Other useful information:

• Khattak has only two hobbies, splitting her free time between keeping up her shooting and practicing her various languages. Both are perishable skills, so if she's not with her family or work she's either at the range or engaging with foreign media.
• Besides her native English, Pashto, and Dari she speaks Spanish, French and Swahili with perfect or near-perfect fluency. She has a working knowledge of Russian and ASL, but she's admittedly rusty.
• Arsala is married and has two children, a four-year-old daughter and a twelve-year old son. They're one of the reasons she was reluctant to take part in Operation Godslayer.

Smike's Sheets

Pacific Enterprise Shipping

Often shortened to PacEn, this now defunct company was ostensibly a major air and sea freight carrier with some minor stakes in land-based shipping concerns in various countries. While it did do legitimate business, this was largely to keep itself solvent instead of generating profits. PacEn is considered to be a front corporation for elements of the Chinese Ministry of State Security, with many of its employees being assets or agents under the direct guidance of Beijing.

PacEn allowed for the transfers of personnel, money, equipment and arms to various parties around the world, the recipients ranging from quasi-legal paramilitaries to outright terror groups, anyone China wanted to support but needed to do so covertly. While it has since become defunct, the vast majority of the people involved with its espionage activities are unknown, and it’s considered highly likely that the operation has merely broken apart into smaller units to make itself less vulnerable to intrusion.

Ximena Huang states that she began her career in the MSS as part of PacEn, working to smuggle weapons and advisors to Naxalite-Maoist groups in India as well as arranging the transportation of material to various groups throughout the Pacific hemisphere. She was also deployed to the former Soviet Union for a time, working with local forces to track down WMDs and ship them back to China before they could fall into the hands of enemy agents.

The Company

The Company, sometimes referred to as Sam Gor ("The third brother", a reference to the gang's founder) began life as an alliance between Triad organizations to corner the drug market in the Asia-Pacific region, only to be interrupted by the Heavenfall. The immense destruction only temporarily halted their activities, and like many criminal organizations the Company took advantage of new state of the world to increase its own power. Using its drug profits to arm and expand, the Company defeated or simply subsumed a number of smaller gangs throughout Asia and the Americas, expanding both its territory and its ventures. In addition to narcotics, it deals in human trafficking and weapons, as well as black market energy production and simple piracy on both air and sea. It has a notable naval presence and commonly preys on shipping, stealing anything valuable before taking the crew to be held for ransom.

Zuhal al-Saqqaf, the chemical engineer and former romantic partner of ximena Huang, is currently in the Company's custody and is being forced to produce fuel for them, most of which is used by the Company's vessels while the remainder is sold off. It's thought that she had been dealing with them before her flight from New China and was simply taken prisoner when they realized that she was no longer able to find safety in the PRC.

Spearhead: A modern/near future Special Forces RP (Closed to new applications)

I’m here and gonna start working on a sheet tmw. Planning on going either Marksman or Point Man for the primary role and Human Intelligence for the secondary

@Smike

Locking in marksman