CLOSED ♔ i'll tell you 'bout a secret i've been undermining

[superswank]

WHO || Sydney, Sylar, Drax, Frankie, Allison [Closed]
WHAT || The Knights investigate a biological weapons threat for the Ukrainians 
WHERE ||Antarctica
WHEN || April 10th [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread, don't worry about maintaining tagging order.

Not all international intrigue happens in presidential palaces, plush business offices, and smoky dives next to waterfronts.  Some happens in the coldest, dreariest parts of the world.

The Ukrainians expect the Knights to head for the Russian research station from the drop point, stop to disable both the helicopter and communications tower, then enter the compound. Once there, they are to find Prytyka and question him on camera, transmitting this conversation live via a satellite uplink with their contact, Kuchma.

They are currently been flown to the drop point 2 miles from Adelie 14, and Kuchma is on the plane with them, providing them all with arctic gear and final requests.  They have access to thermal undergarments, snowsuits, boots, parkas, snow goggles, gloves and mittens, as well as a portable satellite phone and video camera, and several AKSU-74 sub machine guns.

"Many firearms are unreliable in the extreme Antarctic weather, so you might wish to take one," Kuchma cautions. 

Comments

[superswank]

[ kutchma nods, reaching down to grab some more for frankie, while syd outfits herself in the provided winter gear without complaint. kutchma goes on as they finish preparing: "The plan is to insert you about an hour before dusk. You'll be extracted from the same site as the drop, beyond a rocky ridge, just after dawn. Should it become necessary, you can call for an extraction closer to the camp and before daybreak if you wish, using these phones. Weather this time of year is very unpredictable, and though it should cooperate for the next 24 hours or so, this favorable window may not stay open very long. On foot, the hike to the camp should take about an hour from the drop site, if you move straight for the facility. The communications cluster where the tower is will be located on that route." ]

[thetokenaussie]

Patrols around the communication cluster, security cameras or both? [Glancing back at Kutchma as she starts pulling on all the layers.]

[risked]

[Allison prepares for the mission, setting her bag on the ground and her bow resting against it. She layers up, making sure that everything she puts on still allows her to draw and fire her bow. With all of that settled, she puts her bag back over her shoulder and keeps her bow in hand. She's interested in the formation as well -- along with if that video camera is going to hold up in the cold weather. Batteries + cold weather aren't the best of friends.]

[superswank]

[ "From what we've seen via satellite, the communications tower is unmanned, and they don't bother to patrol. The facility is isolated enough that they likely don't expect any trouble." ]

[thetokenaussie]

Good to know. [Less visible shaking and teeth chattering now at least.]

[superswank]

[ the soviet-made helicopter flies low above the wind whipped waves towards the dark smudge of land on the horizon, quickly reaching the rocky, snow-blasted shore. it flies so low to the ground that they could reach out and touch it, weaving its way between ridges of low, rocky mountains, never more than a few dozen feet off the ground. ]

I imagine there's not much cover out there for our approach.

[risked]

[She glances to the winter gear and it makes sense as to why it was provided, now.]

Even if we don't have enough cover -- we should be fine if they don't patrol too often. We just have to hope our timing is right.

[watchmaker]

We can just hide behind polar bears.

[really, sylar??? really???? ]

[spinerip]

[Drax got a knowledge 16 so he knows what polar bears are.]

And if necessary, we could propel the bears at their defenses!

[superswank]

Polar bears don't live in the Antarctic. [ she can't help it, it just slips out. sorry sylar. the pitch of the rotor noise changes as the helicopter makes a sudden, banking turn. kutchma gives them a signal and slides open the side cargo door. a blast of frigid air roars through the chopper's cargo bay, and the aircraft settles gently onto the dense snow. ]

[thetokenaussie]

Fuck me! [Yeah she crit failed that Fort Save.] Next mission - Bahamas. [Teeth chattering as she loads up, ready to disembark.]

[superswank]

We can dream. [ syd's the first one out, landing on the snow with soft knees, and straightening up to step away from the chopper ]

[watchmaker]

Think of all the sand, though. [sylar follows after syd, landing like a person who is good at landing.]

[thetokenaussie]

[Frankie joins them without face-planting and that's all that really matters.]

Believe me I am. [Australia. One great big island pretty much. Sand goes with the territory.] Did somebody grab the sat phone and camera?

[superswank]

I've got it. We should try to make fast time.

[risked]

[And out goes Allison - landing close by - relatively easily. Thank you, gymnastics. She'll just follow along, until they need archery skills or... something horrible happens.]

[thetokenaussie]

[No arguments from Frankie who nods her head and pulls her gloves on, arranges her gear and starts to trek out in the snow, trying to get a feel for their surroundings and anyone alerted by the landing of their helicopter as they go. (Spot 17)]

[spinerip]

[Drax's fort save of 23 means he stalks out into the cold without flinching at all despite the fact that he's pretty underdressed for it. He lands with a thump and starts clomping through the snow.]

[risked]

[Allison continues through the snow, keeping alert. (spot 24)]

[watchmaker]

[dashing through the snow, blah blah w/e. (spot 17)]

[superswank]

[ the weak sun sits very low in the sky - it will be dark within the hour. the weather is bitterly cold so they do have to make a fort save (with a +6 from the gear provided) the dc is 15, or they lose 3 hit points as they traverse the snow.

between the ridge and the camp, the terrain is almost featureless and offers little cover. they do, however, spot three areas of interest on the way. ahead of them, about a quarter mile north of the campsite, several satellite dishes surround a tall radio tower. cables from the communications devices converge at a small shack half-buried in snow near the base of the structure. there is no sign of human activity there.

about 1/4 mile southeast of the camp, they see what looks like a well site.

just to the east of the compound, a helicopter sits in a clear area slightly apart from the buildings that make up adelie 14. the tarp that covers the vehicle's dark, hunched form is dusted with snow and flaps weakly in the wind.

syd nods towards the comm tower shack. ]

[watchmaker]

[sylar's fort save was 29, so ... i think he'll be ok for now.] Are we splitting up or going in together?

[thetokenaussie]

[And that Fort Save of 22 means Frankie is doing alright despite the fact that she's freezing her ass off as she trudges through the snow. She does get cold just looking at Drax tho. Srsly wtf.

Yeah that's the tag, Sylar asked her question okay.]

[spinerip]

[Drax's gear isn't really sufficient but he got a 17 anyway. Which means he's going to scoff and shrug off the coat, leaving it in the snow as he continues forward completely shirtless. He will DESTROY hypothermia!]

[superswank]

Maybe two of you can check out that drill site while we disable the comm tower.