MISSION: SALT THE EARTH

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: October 17 - October 23
Location: Southwest Russia, 1223 CE
Characters: ALL; tag yourselves in
Summary: The Initiative sends all of the Transports on a mission to fight troops of the Golden Horde.
Warnings: war, violence, npc death (notify a mod if there's cause to add a particular warning!)

It is a warm day when the Transports arrive, a breeze blowing and sparse clouds in the sky. Before them is an expanse of flat land interspersed with some short, rolling hills. There are sparse trees, but for the most part it is grassland. It would be ideal for farming, but has not been utilized as such yet. Several miles in the distance is a small town, and the troops of the Golden Horde have made their camp just outside of it. There are about a thousand soldiers present, and the mission is simple: send a message that this land cannot be claimed. They will do this by defeating these warriors who are feared throughout the medieval world. They will then punctuate this statement by ensuring that this land cannot be farmed for centuries.

It is a small expanse of land that the Initiative has their eyes on, no more than ten miles in diameter. But for some reason, they have deemed it to be of a deep strategic importance.

The Transports arrive in the early morning, escorted by several Initiative officers, whose presence is meant primarily to keep things organized while the actual battle is to be left to the Transports. Under the guidance of these Initiative officers, the first order of business for the Transports is to set up a camp of their own. The battle will commence in the late afternoon, six hours after their initial arrival.

The battle will take place halfway between each side's respective camps. Many of the Mongolians will fall in combat. On the fifth day, the remaining soldiers will retreat, surrendering the area. Once the region has been secured, the second portion of the mission will commense, in which the Initiative will oversee the dispersement of a chemical agent over the land to ensure that no crops may be grown there. It will be harmless to all humans and animal life, and some weeds may even be able to take root, but the grain farming that would have otherwise taken place on this land will not be able to be undertaken. The land outside of this ten mile radius will be unharmed, but this small region will be barren, seen as cursed when the legend of the defeat of the soldiers of the Golden Horde is passed on.

A week after the mission's commencement, the Transports will be sent back to Exsilium. Their mission will have been a success. But the fallout of it will remain to be seen...

Comments

Gray Fox & Samus

[raisedbybirds]

[In the days following the bombings Samus had found herself slowly growing more and more anxious. Certainly, she could always find something to busy herself with--be it debris clean up and aid, training, tinkering with her suit, or simple exploring and hunting for anything interesting on the network--but few things satisfied like a good, high-stakes mission.

She was a bit eager to give the UE a taste of their own medicine, hoping this convoluted time-traveling, plant-destroying plan of the Initiative would do just that. The overall task was simple; repel the Golden Horde, but in order to accelerate that the Initiative officers called for special mission... Operation Intrude N312 a hit on enemy supplies. The enemy consisted of brutish raiders, well provisioned for this fight. A strike on their ammunition and goods would would brutally cripple their forces.

Conveniently their base lay up river, making this an ideal solo or duo infiltration under the cover of night, and using the river as additional cover. Getting caught was of course, not an option. Samus wasn't sure if Anora andor the Initiative Officers picked her and Fox purposefully or at random, but before she knew it she was given a horse and a heading. Their objective was more than three miles away--going on foot would take far too long.

Only one horse for two people. Figured.

Samus was looking at the horse rather apprehensively.

...The horse was looking back at her just about as apprehensively.]

[loyalism]

All that technology, but we have to share a horse. Why am I not surprised?

[Fox doesn't appear particularly concerned, however, as he pats the animal's neck. In fact he seems more at ease than he has done since he arrived in Exsilium. Still as composed and professional as ever, but with less of the tension and air of awkwardness about him. It was good to have a mission to focus on again.

Samus, on the other hand...]

I hope that suit of yours isn't too heavy.

[He throws her a slight smile, more in his eyes than on his lips. Even hidden away by the suit, the apprehension there was obvious. Probably not surprising, when he thinks about it. Did they even have horses in space?]

[raisedbybirds]

[It was very good to have a mission to focus on, but yes horses weren't ever involved in any of hers. Give her a vehicle or a machine and she'd figure it out in just a few seconds. Even comparable equine-like creatures weren't very common nor practical modes of transportation where she was from. She might have brazenly attempted to tame Dachora in her younger days but a two-legged flightless green space chocobo bird was far different from a horse.]

It's not that heavy.

[Truth; Not even two hundred pounds collectively. Figuring out a horse couldn't be that difficult, right?

She noted it seemed to be calmed by Fox's petting. After giving a few moments of observation, she decides to try and mount it, jumping up in the air and swinging one leg over the saddle and gripping the reins.

The horse shifts and under the sudden weight, jerking its head uneasily and trotting in place as if it might try to either rear up or buck its legs. Samus quickly shifts back on the saddle, which the horse seems to begrudgingly appreciate with a snort.]

Maybe you should... [control? steer? uh] ...drive.

[Yes. Get up here and drive the horse, Fox.]

[loyalism]

[Maybe a little overenthusiastic there, Samus. Fox keeps a hold of the reins from the ground, just in case the horse decides to try and bolt. It certainly doesn't look too pleased, that's for sure. On the other hand, Fox looks faintly amused, especially as Samus scoots back and suggests that he "drive". Definitely no spacehorses. Add that one to the notes.

He doesn't say a word about it though, slipping one foot into a stirrup and using it to pull himself up so he can swing a leg over. And sort of... kicking Samus in the process, because there's not really enough room with a guy in a big bulky space suit already sat up there. But hey, at least he manages to get up without the horse flipping out in the process.

And then, completely deadpan:]

I knew a man called Horse, once. You can imagine where he got that codename. You might want to hold on, by the way.

[You know, before he figures out how to make this damn thing move...]

[raisedbybirds]

[There's a distinct clang as his foot hits her torso, and a distinct lack of a reaction--she wouldn't be surprised if that hurt his foot more that her. She hardly felt it.]

Horse, huh.

[Being as unfamiliar with horses as she is, it takes a moment for the implication to registe--okay yes there it goes. Lovely.

To his instructions, she really only had one hand with which she could hold onto--first it settled on his shoulder, then she feared that would not be a wise way of balancing weight for support, so then her hand went for his hip, awkwardly settling there. The hulking arm cannon stayed out at her side, lazily drooped down but out and away from the horse's body.]

Ready when you are.

[loyalism]

[One day, when Fox learns that Samus is actually a woman, he will look back on the crude jokes and cringe with embarrassment. For now, at least, he's blissfully oblivious.

He shifts in the saddle to find his balance and spends a moment fumbling with the reins, not entirely certain how long or short they should be, or how exactly he should hold them. Really though, how hard can this be? Just like in Ocelot's boring cowboy movies, but with a ninja super soldier and a bounty hunter from space. No problem.

Except maybe he kicked a little too hard, or maybe the horse had just had enough of this bullshit, because suddenly it's lurching forward far faster than he'd intended. Here's hoping Samus was holding on well enough...]

[raisedbybirds]

[She'd been holding onto his hip lightly--just enough for a grip and nothing more invasive than that, so the sudden movement catches her by surprise. The horse speeds off, she slides back in her seat, and her back bows uncomfortably at the unexpected force as she struggles to stay horse-mounted. She would have fallen ass over kettle were it not for quick reactions befitting of a ninja super soldier or bounty hunter from space.

Much of the Power Suit's weight was around her back and shoulders, making it very difficult to reorientate herself without fumbling for his hip again; at best she grabs the cloth of his uniform and rim of his pants.

She pulls herself up with a quick tug, smashing into his back rather awkwardly. Samus is very determined to ride this horse today.]

A little warning next time would be nice.

[Yeah, she doesn't sound too happy about that.]

[loyalism]

[And then Fox got concussion from hitting his head against Samus's fancy spacesuit.

Okay no he didn't, but getting smacked into like that does knock the wind out of him a little. He grabs at the reins, attempting to regain control... Short reins. Short reins are good.]

Sorry. That wasn't quite what I expected to happen.

[And you had said you were ready, Samus.

But now the horse is moving, it's settled into a rather sluggish canter, obviously straining a little under nearly 400 pounds of two riders plus tack. There's no way it will be able to keep up that pace over three miles, but Fox is content to let it do what it wants for now. At least it's heading in the right direction.]

You okay?

[raisedbybirds]

I'm fine. Are you?

[It's a clipped response, but not antagonistic. Certainly no fault of Fox, but the prospects of the horse cooperating for the duration of their mission--or even what little is required of it (the horse certainly wouldn't be sneaking in and sabotaging the supply line) were looking grim. First it goes too fast, now it's going too slow.]

It's... interesting.

[Interesting riding a horse. Yes. Great small talk, there.]

I'd prefer a machine, by far. A ship, a bike, a mech... anything like that.

[Her own two feet would do just well enough, too.]