Description: Heidern briefs the Ikari on the Metro City situation.
The Ikari Warriors hangar is abuzz with activity this afternoon, the numerous jets and helicopters kept there all being prepped for take-off, uniformed technicians scuttling between them and making sure that everything is in good working order. There's the occasionally blast of air from the jets' engines being tested, and the sound of helicopter rotors cutting through the air. Amidst this chaotic-looking, but well organized scene, stands the man behind it all - Commander Heidern.
Standing tall, his posture straight and hands held behind his back, old one eye has the usual look of stoicism on his face. Wearing his usual military officer uniform - clad in drab olive greens and dark browns - the man remains in one spot, eye darting back and forth as he watches the maintenance men get the vehicles ready for take-off. His old nemesis Rolento has been up to no good again - it's just a damn shame that Heidern himself, and many of the Ikari Warriors, had been out on a mission in South Africa until recently. Had they been able to strike as soon as the ex-Major made his grab for Metro City, there's little doubt that they would've been able to stop his revolution dead in it's tracks.
But now the man has a grip on the metropolis. Metro City has been turned into one heavily guarded bunker, for all intents and purposes. Getting in will be enough trouble - Rolento's attack helicopters and ground-based anti-air would undoubtedly pose some threat to his men if they attempted to parachute into the city.. which is why he's sending his big guns out first, to infiltrate Metro City and take out as many of the defenses as they can. Heidern isn't going to risk a full-frontal assault on the well-defended metropolis.
"Schugerg.." he mutters to himself, his voice cold - the tone of a man who regrets not doing what should have been done so many years ago in the Mekong Delta.
It certainly is quite a sight, isn't it? Most of the men, Jones included, are sporting either little neon yellow earplugs or massive, over-the-head mufflers to protect themselves, along with fetching sets of shades to keep their eyes from boiling under the heat of the whirring machinations. His spot, as usual, isn't that far from Heidern, though it's his job as one of the upper tiers in the chain of command to make sure the other soldiers are doing what they're supposed to. His boisterous commands are rarely heard more than ten feet away over the din of combustion engines firing off, whenever they are.
Eventually, Ralf comes up to his glorious cycloptic leader, lifting his straightened right hand in a fine salute. "The first wave of men are ready, sir," he informs, raising his voice as needed so that Heidern can actually hear him. He stands at attention with his feet just under shoulder-width apart, breaking the salute long enough to hold his bandana on his head as a rush of jet-powered air washes across him.
Heidern himself wears no form of safety goggles or earphones - squinting his eye to protect his remaining retina against the blazing heat that the jet engines produce. Even above the constant din of man and machine working hard to prepare themselves for tonight's mission, the Ikari Commander is able to hear the footsteps of Ralf approaching him from behind. Whirling on his heels to face one of his most trusted soldiers and snapping a sharp salute, Heidern regards Jones up and down for a few moments.
"Ralf.." he says - the second-in-command being one of the few Ikaris who receive the great honour of being called by their first name. "Everything is going well, I'm assuming? We can afford no mistakes in this mission. Major Schugerg has the city in a complete lockdown, and our men will be shot on site if they fail to produce a Metro ID."
It's this kind of operation that he regrets having to send -any- of his soldiers on. But they know the risk, and there isn't the slightest hint of disloyalty in the ranks - the first wave being sent to infiltrate the city and remove the ground-based defenses know that they're in good hands.. Heidern wouldn't send them on a suicide mission. And with the legendary Ralf Jones leading them into the metropolis, many of them seem confident about their chances.
"At approximately 23:42, you and your squad will be flown to just outside the Metro City limits - any aircraft flying over the city wouldn't make it half a mile before being shot down. You are to infiltrate the city using any methods required. Now remember, Jones, this isn't a full-out assault mission. Do not engage the enemy unless it is absolutely necessary to complete your objective. If you are forced into combat, show no mercy. The Major has no doubt trained his men to be as ruthless as he is, and they will show no hesitation in killing you or the soldiers serving under you, should they get the chance. Understood?"
Again, Ralf snaps his hand up to his temple, along with a prompt "Yes, sir!" Shedding all of his usual antics and silliness that most people synonymize with Ralf Jones for the mission, he's sure it would kill a good many aquaintances he's made to see this side of him. "Sure as shit, sir, everyone's got their orders and primed to kick some scrubby terrorist ass." ..Hey, habits die hard.
Heidern's moment of inflection is spent with one of said men under Ralf coming up to him with some sort of chart, simply asking for confirmation on positions and numbers, possible maneuvers needed to keep as much under the enemy's radar as humanly possible, and the like. It'll be hard, getting so many Ikari into the town without confrontation, and once the first fight hits, there's sure to be a commotion as word runs around. And Ralf..well, obviously, he's not all that great at being a sneaky sort, himself. Rest assured that, given the chance, he's more than willing to show them the same care that they showed him during his weeks of captivity.
"23:42," he repeats, checking his watch against one of the clocks in the hangar, adjusting it as necessary. "We'll be ready by 23:00, don't you worry, sir." His lips pull tight in a wide grin; for the past couple of days, he's been completely unable to hide how much he's been looking forward to this little excursion; it's not just that he loves America, but Heidern knows damn well that he owes the ratty-looking son of a bitch, and..well. In truth, part of it IS his fault. It's a way to help set things right.
The corner of Heidern's upper lip raises for just a moment at Ralf's rather unique wordplay - but just for a moment. Then, the Commander is back to his usual stoic self.. among his soldiers, he's all business. "Now that's the attitude I'm looking for, soldier!" says the uniformed, bereted man - watching as Ralf is approached by another Ikari, no doubt confirming some small detail of tonight's mission. Once the man scuttles off, Heidern continues - this time, he begins to walk as he speaks, assuming that Jones will follow his stride.
"I know you must be aching for some payback after your time in captivity, Jones, but don't let that rile you up. We've worked together enough times for me to know how you act - you're the perfect man for this job, but don't allow your desire to let loose on Schugerg's commandos blind you. You're going to be leading a lot of good, honest soldiers into the city. A lot of family men, just trying to do what's right for the world. Trying to make sure their sons and daughters don't grow up under the rule of despots and tyrants. Casualties will be inevitable, especially since the Major is well-accustomed to urban warfare, but I want to see as many men as possible come back alive."
By the time he's finished speaking, he's led Ralf to a less-active part of the hangar, several dozen feet away from the nearest piece of important military machinery. Stopping suddenly, the tall man turns to face Jones - eyeing him up and down once again. Ralf has been with the Ikaris for a while, and in those years he's proved himself indespensible - it takes a special type of soldier to make second-in-command of the Ikari Warriors. And Ralf is just that type of soldier.
"This is one of the most important missions you've ever been given, Jones, and I want to make sure you're adequately prepared to face even Rolento himself." He lets those words hang in the air for a few moments, before calmly taking a step back and raising his hands up to chest-level, falling back into his combat position.. the last thing many of his opponents ever see. "Attack me."
COMBATSYS: Heidern has started a fight here.
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Heidern 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Ralf has joined the fight here.
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Ralf 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Heidern
Of course, Ralf follows. When his leader is speaking and sees fit to meander off, his precious soldiers should see fit to follow until dismissed. That's how things work here; always have, and always will. Even though the bandana-clad Ikari manages to get away with things more often than most, people have long since given up trying to change him. He does things now and then that make the more..rigid members cringe, but nobody's ever been brave enough to tell him that he hasn't earned his minor freedoms. "..Understood, sir," he answers promptly, immediately sucking in his cheek and chewing on it gingerly. It's like the guy read his mind, which, by now, shouldn't be that surprising. The words do cause him to think it over for a bit, evident by the way his jaw shifts from side to side.
"We're gonna take Metro back, sir, or we won't be able to call ourself the best damn mercenary group that ever lived." Personal demons aside, Jones comes to a rather abrupt stop, his arms tucking back behind him with one hand clutching the other's wrist. He's not the only one surprised to see Heidern taking up a stance, and were it anyone but him, the men would already be on their way over. As it is, anyone nearby tries to look over now and then, sticking to their duties, albeit slightly slower now. "...If that's an order, sir," Ralf replies, unfurling his limbs and extending his fingers, slowly curling them up into a tight fist. As usual, he begins simply enough, going right in head-first, his right fist raised and already shooting out. However, as he gets close, his right stops in favor of a low left hook, aiming to connect with the fleshy, softer part of his Commander's gut.
COMBATSYS: Heidern fails to counter Strong Punch from Ralf with Killing Bringer.
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Ralf 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Heidern
"You're damn right it's an order, soldier. Show me what you've got."
And then.. Ralf does. Rushing towards the man, Heidern's remaining eye narrows ever so slightly - watching the fist that is headed towards his face. As the punch is thrown, the Commander aims to grab hold of the soldier's wrist.. but he's trained his men well, and Jones tosses things up at the last second, pulling back on his thrown punch and instead nailing Heidern dead in the gut.
Hopefully Jones wasn't expecting too much of a reaction from his all-out blow, the fist striking a midsection that feels more like cast iron than flesh and skin. Shoving Ralf back a few steps, Heidern shakes his head and lets out a small chuckle. "Not bad at all, Jones. You always were a tricky one, I should've seen that coming." If anything, the Commander is disappointed that he wasn't able to see through Ralf's clever feint.
Relaxing his straightened stance a bit, the man raises one hand - palm up - towards Jones, and then curls his finger in, beckoning him to attack again.
YYYYEEEOUCH! Iron, hell, Heidern's side is plated with titanium or some shit. Anti-punchium? Yeah, that sounds like it. Pulling back, Jones shakes his left hand, bringing it to his right so that he can pop each knuckle, one by one. He of all people should know that he doesn't have to worry about hurting his leader, but at the same time, it's best not to overexert oneself the afternoon before a critical mission. "You helped make me this way, sir," he replies with the start of his common shit-eating grin. "Been a while since we've last done this, huh?" Since..oh..the King of Fighters before that, mainly, and rare occasions in between? As he's beckoned, Jones comes in once more, though this time, he jumps up, nothing spectacular, just a short ride up. His right fist swings downward as he closes in, and his body rockets in at a forty-five degree angle, as if the force of the punch itself it was pushing his fist like a rocket.
COMBATSYS: Heidern blocks Ralf's Diving Bomb Punch.
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Ralf 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Heidern
"I couldn't have trained you to be such an impressive soldier if it wasn't already in you, kid.." states Heidern matter-of-factly. He has nothing but respect for Ralf, even though the man can be less than professional at times - he can be trusted to get the job done, and that's really all that the Commander cares about at the end of the day. And while Jones has little worry of hurting his superior, Heidern is well aware that the man will be leading a squad of soldiers on a very important mission later tonight - so the Ikari XO might find that the Commander's blows are causing less damage than they might normally. It should be clear, once a strike lands, that's he pulling his punches so as not to harm Jones. But that does't mean he's going to go easy on him, either.
"It's been a while because I trust your abilities, Ralf. But tonight, you're going to be thrown into hell - urban warfare the likes of which has never been seen on American soil." He continues to speak even as the soldier leaps into the air and comes down at him with a powerful punch, the Commander calmly crossing his arms in front of his body and absorbing the blow - not being pushed back even an inch by the force of the impact.
"I never told you where I first met Major Schugerg, did I? It was in the Mekong Delta, some thirty years ago. He was leading a unit of Special Forces, I was in charge of a squad of Ikari Warriors. We were supposed to be striking at a Vietcong base of operations together.."
He pauses momentarily, rushing toward Ralf and attempting to trip him up and slam him down on the ground..
COMBATSYS: Heidern successfully hits Ralf with Lead Belcher.
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Ralf 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Heidern
Quickly and easily removing Ralf's feet from under him, Heidern slams his XO down to the hard floor of the hangar, as he continues to regale him with old war stories. "We came across a village of Vietnamese peasants.." he says, raising one hand high above his head, "..the Major gave the order to liquidate them.."
SLAM goes the Commander's hand, slicing down into Ralf's midsection and piercing flesh, drawing some blood before he steps back, allowing Jones to get back to his feet.
"I gave him the scar that he carries to this day."
Ralf quickly finds his efforts to be akin to punching a bunker; even the trails of fire from his fist didn't seem to do much. He can talk a blue streak while fighting, going on and on about old memories and the like in the middle of a fight..and come in for the counterattack while flapping his lips. A hell of a man, this Heidern is, and it's part of why he's manages to garner the respect of even Ralf and Clark to this day. You don't think men like them would back a pussy, do you?
Far less light on his feet than the monstrously tall, lean man is, Jones's bulk falls heavily against the floor, drawing a slight rush of air from his lungs. Already, though, he's starting to flex his stomach muscles to get up, only offering the intruding fingers only the slightest resistance as they sink in. Bad things, man. The bandana-clad man's face scrunches up, but doesn't cry out for more than a moment, the sound cut off quickly before his effective leader. "..That's all.." he starts, getting up with a heavy grimace as he rises, "good and well, sir.. You hoping to finish something off with this scenario?" Sounds like a bit of bad blood there, no wonder Rolento was constantly badmouthing him during their fight. Ralf's hand covers the small wound, careful not to delve his fingers into the flesh. That'll have to be stitched up quickly; in no way is he going to let something like that interfere with his mission tonight, and now he'll have to be careful during his personal outing later. One step brings him close, another likely to bring him far closer than is really comfortable. He has to, though; normally, Ralf can hit a man's face from further away, but Heidern is TALL. He needs to rush right in before swinging a fist upward in a mild hook, marked again by a small explosion, then an attempt at a backhand, before another couple of quick, sharp strikes.
COMBATSYS: Ralf successfully hits Heidern with Vulcan Punch.
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Ralf 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Heidern
"I've hoped to finish something off several times in the past, Jones.. but the Major is a clever one. He's eluded justice in the past, through his cunning alone.. let's hope that we're able to get the drop on his this time. He's been far too troublesome for his own good.."
Even when he speaks in such a way about Rolento, there's not much of a tone of hatred in Heidern's voice - sure, Schugerg is undoubtedly evil, despite his claims to the contrary, but it's far less of a personal rivalry than - say - Heidern and Rugal. To him, Rolento is simply an annoying thorn in his side, albeit a brutal, mass-murdering one.
Perhaps it's being so deep in thought that allows Ralf to land his combination of strikes, the total impact of which is enough to actually cause the Commander to stumble back a step - a brief moment of weakness before he straightens himself up. A small grin passes over his lips once again, before it is quickly replaced by his typical stoic look. "Excellent, soldier! Perform like this in combat, and those commandos won't know what hit them!"
"But don't think that they'll rush into close quarters with someone of your.. reputation. You'll have to be on the look out.. you'll have to.. THINK FAST!"
With that, Heidern's arms both come up, crosses over eachother - practically tearing through the air as a cross-shaped chi projectile launches forward towards Jones.
COMBATSYS: Ralf slows Cross Cutter from Heidern with Large Thrown Object.
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Ralf 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Heidern
Think what? Jones, a quick thinker? Perish the thought! However, his reflexes are honed from years upon years of ducking bullets and being on the receiving end of vicious armed groups..one kind of /has/ to have at least his body trained to think for him if one is to survive this long in such a profession. Even when Heidern's arms lift and cross, he knows full well what's coming at him. He's seen it before, for whatever slight advantage that gives him. He takes a single step back, his left arm rising defensively as the other pull ba--..bumps into a chair behind him. How lucky, right? Surely, this little test will warrant forgiveness for the damage Ralf's about to cause. With an answering yell, he grips the back of the unused chair and flings it forward, just as that cross of chi starts screaming toward him. Unfortunately, it's not a very sturdy guard, and the 'blades' shatter the plastic and slices through the metal cleanly. At first, the man's content, seeing the impact, but..not nearly as much when the thing KEEPS COMING. He gives it a good try, lifting his arms, but only quickly enough to have the edges nick across his skin, the bulk of the projectile sinking into his thick, bulletproof vest and only shallowly into his own rock-like muscles.
"..Good hit, sir," he compliments, his grin all but faded, though one corner of his mouth is evidently trying to fight back and keep the jovial expression despite the extensive stinging of slashed flesh. The man's going to have to be extra careful now, which is why he hangs back, trying to keep at least a few feet of distance between the two. "And I swear, these bastards won't even know what hit 'em 'til it's too late!" Cocky? Naw. ..Well, perhaps a little bit. After all, Rolento himself was nothing like facing Heidern, even with one or the other, or even both pulling punches. However, the memory of having his flesh eaten by beetles IS still rather fresh, and that's an immeasurable help in staying his often-reckless nature.
Leona has connected.
Heidern's eyebrow raises ever-so-slightly as he watches Ralf toss a chair into the path of his projectile, the wooden object splintering from the slashing force of the chi.. but it's still enough to slow it down so that it isn't quite as harmful. "That's exactly the kind of quick thinking you're going to need on this mission, Jones. The Shank Squad, and that pathetic gang they've teamed up with, are going to throw everything they can at you and your men. If you're spotted, don't go rushing into battle like I know you want to do. It's too dangerous - who knows what kind of traps the Major has set up in his urban battlefield. This is going to be a stealth job. Take out their defenses.. do your best to help the besieged Mayor."
Of course, just because Ralf has impressed him with the clever use of a chair as a projectile, doesn't mean that this little training session is over. Heidern can sense the cockiness in the kid's voice - he's known him long enough to know that Jones is probably thinking this mission will be a piece of cake. And so, he aims to drive home one last lesson..
Rushing forward at a blinding speed, the Ikari commander is headed straight for Jones.
"Remember one thing.."
COMBATSYS: Heidern successfully hits Ralf with Backstabbing.
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Ralf 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0 Heidern
And just like that, Heidern is behind Ralf - holding his deadly hand straight out to the side. It takes a moment for the soldier - and those watching the melee - to realize what has just happened.. a painful slash has just been torn straight across the tough man's side, Heidern's outstretched hand easily slicing through his solid flesh.
"..don't get cocky, kid. If you see Rolento, you -run-. He's too much for you to handle alone.. even with the help of your squad. You hear those choppers coming in your direction, get the -hell- out of there."
Standing back and watching as Ralf reacts to the attack, Heidern slashes his hand out in the air, the man's blood flying off of his glove and splattering on the hangar floor.
"I'll be watching your squad from base. Make radio contact at least once every 24 hours. Once the ground-based anti-air defenses are down, radio it in.. and wait for the cavalry."
COMBATSYS: Heidern takes no action.
This, this is just the kind of medicine that Ralf needs before something like this. Left to his own devices, he's rush right in like some damned fool, causing a big enough ruckus that that entirety of Rolento's goons would swarm toward his location. Tough enough to rescue the president, his kitten, the president's kitten, etc, or not, even he can't take on that make of the soldiers. Hell, he got banged up pretty badly just taking a mere fifteen of them head-on. Stupid knife-throwing sons of bitches.
And Ralf, his speed isn't anywhere near Heidern's own. Even if his eyes can barely keep track of the uniformed blur, it doesn't mean his bulky body can, and hence, the knife-like, intrusive hand rather easily slips through the harded muscles and tough skin as if nothing. The cut is so clean that, in fact, he doesn't notice it at first. Ralf whips around, and THEN feels the burn of severed nerves, capillaries, and the like. This time, he has to at LEAST groan out, teeth gritting as he drops down to one knee, his hand moving across his chest to hold onto the gash. That's what he gets for being cocky, though. "..Understood, sir," he pushes out, trying to keep his voice level as he rises up. He doesn't attcak or anything; enough is enough, and even he knows better than to go much further. That would be pushing too far, put too much in jeopardy. "Permission to get this taken care of, sir?" he asks, shifting the shoulder that's just about the worst slice. Yeah, it won't kill him, but why push it?
"Permission granted, soldier.." says Heidern, nodding firmly and then clacking his boots together before snapping a sharp salute to his second-in-command. It's not like he enjoys inflicting such pain on his own men, but he knows that such measures are necessary to hammer a point home to someone like Jones. "You get that wound cleaned up, then try and stay off your feet until you ship out tonight. You've proven yourself countless times before, Ralf.. don't let me down on this one."
That said, Heidern turns on his heels and begins to walk back towards the helicopters and jets sitting in the hangar, watching carefully as the technicians and maintenance men work on getting the vehicles ready. Tonight is an important night - one that could possibly decide the fate of Metro City. If Ralf and his men can sneak into the metropolis unnoticed, there's no limit to the damage that the urban warfare-trained soldiers could be able to cause to the Major's infrastructure.. but getting in without being spotted.. that will be the hard part.
Heidern has connected.
Log created on 14:52:13 09/03/2005 by Heidern, and last modified on 10:07:07 06/07/2007.